New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team concluded its 2024 campaign in what was a re-building year with 12 underclassmen featured throughout the year.
 
The 2024 version of the Hawks featured six first-year players with seven sophomores, two seniors, a junior and graduate student Pat Wing. Wing finished his career at SUNY New Paltz in dominant fashion, earning his third straight AVCA All-America recognition. He became the fifth Hawk in program history to earn multiple first-team All-America honors, and just three others to be three-time honorees. He additionally, earned first team AVCA All-Region and first team All-UVC for the third for the third consecutive year as well.
 
The team entered the year having graduated an AVCA All-American and three AVCA Division III North Region All-Stars in Brendan Spulnick, John Ronan and Kyle Shaffer — all of whom compiled a 90-30 overall record and a 30-5 UVC record during their careers, along with seven All-UVC selections while playing a combined total of 269 matches between them, including one UVC semifinal, two UVC finals which included one conference championship, and two NCAA Tournament appearances including a national title in 2019 with Spulnick and Ronan both a part of.   
The team finished 17-13 overall and 1-6 in the United Volleyball Conference. Its overall win percentage was the lowest since the 2010 season when the team went 19-16, while its conference record marked just the second time the program had a losing mark within the UVC and first since the inception of the conference in 2011 when the Hawks finished 3-6. Their lone UVC win in 2024 came in a 3-1 win over Elmira March 10. It was also the first time the team failed to make the UVC postseason tournament.
 
Having one of the toughest schedules in the country, SUNY New Paltz battled to wins over nationally ranked Bendicitine (No. 19), Lasell (No. 20) and the most notable, No. 4 Springfield March 6. The Hawks have defeated the Pride on their home court just once in program history, which came during their national championship run in 2016 and since then have gone just 2-17 against the perennial power but pulled the upset in a five-set thriller. Wing was the catalyst, totaling 19 kills, three aces, a block and four digs for a game-high 22.5 points, while freshman Matt Marusza controlled the offense, compiling a team-leading 32 assists with an ace and a block.
 
Despite the final overall record, the AVCA took the strength of schedule and the national wins into consideration with the Hawks falling No. 20 in the final AVCA national poll. Wing earned the team's lone post-season honors despite missing the last four matches due to a season ending injury suffered during a potential come-back on the road against No. 12 NYU March 27.
 
The team returns all but Wing and senior Andrew Brawn, and although the loss of Wing will be felt the experience the team returns will undoubtably help re-establish a foundation of success within the program, as they the Hawks bring back starters Marusza, outside hitter/setter Daniel Shanley, liberos Luke Hofer, Teddy Teraszkiewicz, outside hitters AJ Fitzgerald and Graham Labeck and middles Krish Jain and Mike Handell, along with right side Michael Speigel who earned valuable minutes stepping in for the injured Wing.

Season Highlights (edited by Julia Quinlan)



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