Elmira, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz bounced back Sunday with a four-set win over hosting Elmira College to secure its first United Volleyball Conference win of the season.
 
The Hawks (15-9 overall, 1-3 UVC) overcame a tough loss to No. 14 Hobart Saturday to earn a four-set victory over the Soaring Eagles (25-22, 25-21, 18-25, 25-22).
 
Coach Radu Petrus played most of his bench in the victory with 10 different players registering at least a kill in the outing with the team hitting a productive .324 in the match. SUNY New Paltz held the advantage in nearly statistical category, including points (61-57), kills (51-49), aces (4-3), blocks (6-5) and assists (49-46).
 
Pat Wing was the catalyst for the Hawks, as the fifth-year senior totaled a game-high 25 kills, hitting an impressive .444 on 45 attempts, while adding an ace, a block and five digs with a game-high 26.5 points. Matt Marusza and Daniel Shanley facilitated the offense as they recorded 14 and 28 assists, respectively. Seniors Christopher Larkin and AJ Fitzgerald followed offensively with seven kills apiece, while combining for two assists, three aces, seven blocks and six digs.
 
With the first set tied at 12, the Hawks got out to a 4-1 run to take a three-point lead that was capped with a kill by Wing and attacking error from Elmira to bring SUNY New Paltz's lead to 16-13. The Hawks maintained their cushion from there with the Soaring Eagles getting within one at 21-20 following a kill, and again at 23-22, but a service error got SUNY New Paltz to set point before Wing swung for set point off an assist from Marusza to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.  
The second went back-and-forth until a 6-1 run opened up the set after Elmira tied the score at 11-apiece with a kill. Wing registered his only ace of the match to cap the run to bring the lead to 17-12 for the Hawks. Wing then gave his team set point with a kill off an assist from Shanly before Larkin handed his team a 2-0 lead one point later with a kill off another assist from Shanley.
 
The Soaring Eagles jumped to a 15-9 advantage in set three and never withheld control for the remainder of the period as they held set point at 24-17. Graham Labeck got SUNY New Paltz within five with a kill, but a kill from Luke Jata cut the game to 2-1, forcing a fourth stanza.
 
SUNY New Paltz wasted no time in the fourth, getting out to a quick 3-0 lead off kills from Wing and Krish Jain. After the Soaring Eagles cut the score to 8-6 off a kill from Jata, Shanley helped serve through a 5-0 run forcing four-straight attacking errors from Elmira to go up 13-6. The Hawks secure the lead down the stretch with the Soaring Eagles getting within two at 22-20, 23-21 and again at 24-21 following a serving error from Wing after a block by Wing and Adam Brawn gave the Hawks match point. Wing then finalized the win on a big swing off a set from Shanley.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Friday in the Hawk Center, hosting St. Joseph's-Long Island at 7 p.m.


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