Brockport, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz lost a tough five-set match on the road against The College at Brockport Friday, 25-23, 21-25, 25-11, 26-28, 13-15.
 
The Hawks dropped to 1-1 in SUNYAC play, while the Golden Eagles open up their conference action 1-0 after improving to 10-3 on the year. After starting the season 8-0, SUNY New Paltz lost its second straight match, but hopes to bounce back Saturday against SUNY Geneseo.
 
"I'm very proud of how we battled back with a chance to tie at 14, just couldn't grab that point," said SUNY New Paltz coach Matt Giufre, whose team narrolwy climbed out of a five-point hole in the fifth. "We played well enough to win, but Brockport just played a little better in the last two sets, so credit to them for staying aggressive and keeping pressure on us down 2-1. We need to flush this and bring our A-game tomorrow point-by-point against a tough Geneseo team."
 
In the first set, Brockport called its second timeout at 22-17 after hitting long and aiding in a Hawks three-point run. The Golden Eagles worked within three at 23-20, but Victoria Konicki found space just inside the back of the court to get to set point. After three straight points by the hosts, Giufre called a timeout to regroup his team. The Golden Eagles' Jordan Thompson then hit into the net to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
 
In the second, SUNY New Paltz tied up the set at 20, but Andrea Coyle started heating up for Brockport and beat the double block on the outside to earn a kill before swinging hard for another kill to aid in her team's 23-20 lead, with Giufre calling a timeout to once again regroup his team. SUNY New Paltz got a point back but hit into the net to give Brockport set point. On a rally, the Hawks tried to keep the point alive, but Konicki couldn't get the dump over the net, which solidified the second, 25-21 for the Golden Eagles to tie the match at 1-1.
  "I felt like the way we came out flat and scattered in the second set and got in a hole changed the direction of the match after pulling out the first set," Giufre said. "We weren't playing as a unit and trusting ourselves and it showed in sloppy play."
 
The Golden Eagles finally called a timeout in the third after SUNY New Paltz held an 11-5 advantage with Mackenzie Williams tallying her eighth kill of the match with an assist by DiGiacomo.
 
DiGiacomo kept the run going, serving hard for the Hawks as their cushion stretched to as much as 19-5 following a kill by Makenzie Bills to end a long rally. DiGiacomo not only served through the 12-0 run, but totaled three assists and an ace. SUNY New Paltz ultimately won the third, 25-11 in a dominating stanza to aid in a 2-1 lead.
 
Brockport was revived in the fourth set and took the early lead at 8-5. Williams took advantage on a free ball, smashing a kill on the outside to cut the Golden Eagles lead to 10-8. DiGiacomo went to Bills two points later to keep the Hawks within two to hand Mia Waddell serve with the senior taking advantage and sneaking her attempt just over the net for an ace. Brockport answered though and registered an ace of its own to re-up its lead to two and after both teams traded service errors the score was again within two with the Golden Eagles holding a 14-12 lead.

Katie Steele brought the score to 23-21 in favor of the Hawks, but the Golden Eagles answered with a kill by Alenna Williamson in the middle, which was followed by an attempt that landed long for Konicki, coupled with a bad set from DiGiacomo to tie the score at 23. Steele had a chance to get to set point, but her swing hit into the net, which brought Brockport to 24-23 leading to Giufre calling his last timeout of the set.
 
SUNY New Paltz answered with a big block by Konicki and DiGiacomo on a swing by Coyle. Melanie Podstupka was given serve for SUNY New Paltz and on the point, Konicki registered a kill on a tip over the net to get to match point. Coyle tied the set back at 25 after finishing a rally with a hard-hit ball toward the back of the court and Jordan Thompson gave the Golden Eagles set point, finding the inside of the far line to push the score to 26-25. Williams tied the score at 26, as her free ball landed just inside the back line with Dana Collins holding serve for the Hawks.
 
Brockport found space between SUNY New Paltz's blockers on the next point to hold set point once more with the Golden Eagles officially tying the match after Williams' swing went just wide to end the third at 28-26.
 
"Coming out of the timeout Vic had a huge kill to create some momentum for us, but that was the one we needed to play better in," Giufre said. "That fourth could have gone either way and we needed to play cleaner to start the fifth. It's a long road back down like we were."
 
SUNY New Paltz got down 5-0 to start the fifth, but back-to-back points got the Hawks back in with Williams finishing on a strong swing for a kill to boost the score to 5-2. The Golden Eagles held the momentum, however, as Giufre called a timeout with Brockport carrying a 7-2 advantage.
 
SUNY New Paltz slowly chipped away at the deficit with Perez helping the Hawks get within two after a kill on a free ball. However, they looked again at an uphill climb as back-to-back points saw the difference back at four following a big block by Brockport. An attempt long by Williams gave the Golden Eagles a 13-7 lead, but Steele got up for a block on the outside to cut the score to 13-8. Konicki then went up for a solo block to get her team a point closer with Brockport helping SUNY New Paltz on a two-touch call to trim the score, 13-10.
 
After Brockport earned match point on a kill by Frostclapp, Steele answered with a kill with Bills serving hard to aid in an attacking error by the Golden Eagles to bring the score to 14-12 leading to another Brockport timeout, its final of the match. A controversial call ended the match, as the official called a touch on a swing by Alexis Sison to give the Golden Eagles the point and finalize the 3-2 result.
 
Williams led the SUNY New Paltz offensively with 20 kills, hitting .222 with 11 digs. Konicki followed with 14 kills and three blocks. Bills finished with 13 kills, three blocks and eight digs.
 
SUNY New Paltz is set to face the Knights of Geneseo Saturday at 1 p.m.

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