Northhampton, MA — After not dropping a single set in six matches, the State University of New York at New Paltz suffered its first loss Saturday after splitting two games at the Smith Tri-Match, falling to the hosting Pioneers after defeating Whaton College in straight sets.
 
The Hawks (8-1 overall) were dominant in their first set played of the afternoon against the Lyons, winning 25-11. They then came back to take a 2-0 lead after earning a 27-25 victory in an extended second set, before capturing the win 25-20 in the third.
 
SUNY New Paltz were big at the net, totaling seven blocks in the match. Mackenzie Williams, Victoria Konicki and Letisha Perez each registered two blocks in the win, while helping in Wheaton's .040 hitting percentage.

The Hawks hit a productive .275 for the game with Williams and Konicki leading the way with height and seven kills, respectively. Williams hit .261 while adding two assists, two aces and five digs. Konicki was efficient, hitting .545 on 11 attempts. Cate DiGiacomo finished with a team-leading 21 assists, while Kayleigh Emanuelson finished with a career-high three aces in the win.  
SUNY New Paltz finished the afternoon against Smith who entered the match at 8-2 overall. The Pioneers showed why they're undefeated in the NEWMAC thus far as they served well to earn 12 aces that proved as the difference in the match, as they ended up winning, 25-23, 27-25, 25-21.
 
After trailing by as many as six, the Hawks clawed their way back to tie the first set at 17 following a four-point run capped by a solo block from Victoria Konicki. They took their first lead three points later on an ace by Melanie Podstupka, but Smith answered with a kill and an ace to regain the advantage. Back-to-back kills by Podstupka and Williams gave SUNY New Paltz its last lead of the set before the Pioneers scored three-straight points off a pair of kills an ace to get to set point. An attacking error by DiGiacomo closed out the first.
 
The second set was tied 16 times with the Hawks holding set point at 24-22, but Smith dug in and worked its way back. A kill by Ava Zollinger started the three-point run and was followed with a block by Zollinger and Madeleine Manzer on a swing by Konicki before an attacking error by Makenzie Bills gave the Pioneers set point at 25-24.
 
DiGiacomo set Konicki on the next point to tie stanza for the final time, but Smith scored the last two points on a kill and an ace.
 
SUNY New Paltz held a 17-14 lead in the third, but again Smith answered with a three-point run to tie the set. A 6-1 stretch after the Hawks were ahead 19-18 turned the match as the hosts owned a 23-20 lead. Errors by SUNY New Paltz finalized the last two points to close out the 3-0 result.
 
Konicki totaled 11.5 points to lead the team offensively, recording eight kills and four blocks. She was followed by Steele who hit. 333 and finished with a team-best nine kills.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Sept. 23 on the road at The College at Brockport. First serve is schedule for 6 p.m.

*************************
To stay up to date with everything #NPHawks be sure to follow us on Twitter at @nphawks, Instagram and Facebook at @newpaltzhawks, and subscribe to our Youtube channel, New Paltz Hawks.