The year is different, but the goal is unchanged for The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team — win the United Volleyball Conference championship and go on to compete for the NCAA DIII national title. Not many collegiate teams in any sport can make that claim annually, yet for 17th year head coach Radu Petrus and 12th year assistant coach Antonio Bonilla such expectations are always at the forefront.
 
"Being a part of that national championship team, we kind of saw what we needed to do to win a national championship and I think these guys has what it takes," said SUNY New Paltz senior libero Dan LaRosa who helped the Hawk hoist the national championship trophy as a freshman in 2019. "If we work together, always picking each other up, support each other, we can make something happen."
 
The 2022 season saw the Hawks, who enter the 2023 season at No. 7 in the NVA/AVCA preseason poll, post an impressive 21-7 overall record, going a perfect 7-0 in the UVC. However, after landing their sixth NCAA berth, they lost in the second round to eventual NCAA DIII champion Springfield College.
 
In addition to its always competitive UVC schedule, SUNY New Paltz plays an aggressive non-conference schedule against some of the premiere DIII squads in the nation. Of their 24 season opponents, only four failed to participate in a postseason conference, regional, or national tournament in 2022. Five were their respective conference champions and six earned spots in the NCAA DIII tournament. The Hawks will begin their season on the road, this year traveling to the Midwest to take on some of the best of the heartland. Their final away match before returning home to the Hawk Center will be a key early season matchup against 2022 NCAA DIII champion Springfield College.
 
 
"Our schedule this year is very, very difficult," said SUNY New Paltz senior setter Kyle Shaffer. "We play almost every single team inside the top-25 preseason [poll] and we're going to the Midwest to play six teams and three of them are ranked in the top-15. It's going to be a challenge for us, but I think if we go out there and we show ourselves we're going to show the entire country that New Paltz is back."
 
Coaches Petrus and Bonilla can look to a very experienced group of returnees to begin once again the quest for the best. While the loss of UVC Player of the Year Chris Shanley will be a challenge to account for, the return of five statistical leaders, four of whom earned All UVC honors in 2022, will provide leadership for the coming season.
 
SUNY New Paltz will be led by four graduate students and one senior. Senior Pat Wing (6'4, middle hitter, Massapequa, NY) earned First Team AVCA All America, First Team All AVCA Regional, and First Team All UVC honors honors last season, leading the Hawks in kills (244) and blocks (64), and was second in service aces with 43. Graduate student Shaffer (6'4, setter, Smithtown, NY) was a Second Team All UVC selection last season topping the Hawks with 676 assists, was third in service aces with 12, fourth in digs with 73 and blocks with 28. Graduate student Brendan Spulnick (6'4, outside hitter, Clifton Park, NY) was also Second Team All UVC had a team leading 65 service aces, was second in kills (207) and digs (123), and third in blocks with 29. A third graduate student, John Ronan (6'6, middle blocker, Massapequa, NY) earned Honorable Mention All UVCA in 2022, was third in kills with 136 and second in blocks with 55. Lastly, graduate student LaRosa (6'0, libero, Lake Grove, NY) led the team in digs with 209.
 
Also returning for the Hawks are juniors Adam Brawn (6'4, middle blocker, Pittsford, NY) and AJ Fitzgerald (6'1, outside hitter, Holbrook, NY), and sophomores Evan Kane (6'4, opposite, Bayport, NY) and Carter Lotz (6'3, outside hitter, Port Washington, NY). Last season Brawn contributed six kills versus Bard and two service aces against Russell Sage. Fitzgerald, who sat out 2022, in limited action in 2021 had a high match of three kills and two digs versus St. John Fisher. In 2022 Kane had a best match of 12 kills versus St. Joseph's (LI) and 13 digs against Cal Lutheran. Lotz had a best match with 10 kills against Bard and Nazareth, including five digs in the win over the Raptors.
 
"I think missing Chris is a lot for us this year, but I think with AJ coming back he's going to fill that position really well and I think we have a lot of depth this year and I think that's going to help us make a big run in the NCAA Tournament at the end of the year," Shaffer said.  
The future of Hawks men's volleyball rests in the hands of seven talented first year players. Luke Hofer (5'7, libero, Penfield, NY) led his McQuad Jesuit High School team to the 2019 NYS championship and was First Team All-Greater Rochester, First Team All-Conference, and First Team All-Area. Matt Teplansky (6'3, outside hitter, Farmingdale, NY) was the 2022 Nassau County Player of the Year starring for the Dalers. Teddy Teraszkiewicz (6'1, outside hitter, Newtown, CT) led Newtown High School with 538 kills, 114 service aces and 290 digs, along with being named to the 2022 AVCA All-America Watch List. Mike Handell (6'5, middle blocker, Wantagh, NY) was First Team All-Nassau, First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-Long Island and made Newsday's 202 Top 50 Long Island Boys Volleyball Players list. Mike Kilinski (6'7, middle blocker, Greenfield, NY) was a top player for both Saratoga Springs High School and the Capital District Sliders VC. Bennett Petrik (6'5, outside hitter, West Seneca, NY) was named First Team All-State, First Team All-Western NY and First Team All-ECIC Division I. Lastly, Krish Jain (6'6, middle blocker, Hicksville, NY) earned recognition on Newsday's Top 50 Long Island Boys Volleyball Players list for 2022 as well as being named First Team All-Nassau County.
 
"The new additions have been great," LaRosa said. "To get AJ back and a big freshmen class coming in, has really been good. Those guys have set the tone… they were ready to work and they've just elevated the rest of our play so it's been great."
 
SUNY New Paltz will open its journey to the championship on Jan. 18 at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois before continuing its Midwest trip against No. 12 Dominican and Benedictine the following day and No. 6 North Central Jan. 20. The Hawks' first 2023 home appearance will be a tri-match against perennial rival Stevens Institute and No. 3 Wentworth Institute of Technology on Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

Season Preview Featuring Kyle Shaffer & Dan LaRosa