New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz concluded its 2025 home slate with a non-conference tri-match Saturday against Montclair and Clark University hosted in Elting Gym.
The Hawks fell to the visiting Red Hawks in four sets (25-23, 27-25, 23-25, 25-13) but bounced back with a commanding 3-0 sweep over the Cougars (25-16, 25-15, 25-22).
Against Montclair, the Hawks nearly evened the game to a set apiece in an extended second set. They trailed for the majority of the period, including at 23-19 following a kill by the Red Hawks, but
Maria Weigand helped her team side-out registering a kill to put the ball in the hands of junior captain
Kim Braun.
Braun got her team within one, as she assisted
Nora Keating on a kill before
Lexi Stragalas joined Keating for a block to trim the score to 23-22. Montclair got to set point on the following play, but a service error followed by a free-ball kill from Weigand tied the score at 24-all. Stragalas registered a big solo block to tie the set once more at 25-all after a serving error pushed the visitors back to set point, but the Red Hawks countered with consecutive points on back-to-back blocks to secure the 2-0 lead.
SUNY New Paltz refused to roll over, however, and pushed the match to a fourth set after building a five-point lead midway through the third period. After Montclair opened up with a 6-0 lead, the Hawks worked to take control. An ace from
Jordyn Lewis gave the hosts their first advantage of the set at 12-11 and from there, they scored five of the next six points, carried by Weigand who swung for three consecutive kills to get the Hawks out in front, 17-12.
SUNY New Paltz never trailed from then on, and although Montclair got close, trimming the lead to 24-23 after the Hawks earned set point at 24-21 on a service error, Weigand made sure to secure the win with a big swing to trim the match lead, 2-1.
The momentum couldn't carry over into the fourth though and the Red Hawks used a commanding 8-0 run to take a comfortable 21-10 cushion. They then scored the last four points of the stanza to win, 25-13 and clinch a 3-1 win.
Reagan Dyba was the offensive catalyst for SUNY New Paltz, totaling a team-high 11 points on a team-best 10 kills, adding an ace and seven digs. Weigand followed with 10 points on nine kills, an ace and six digs. Braun totaled a team-high 33 assists, while adding a block and a team-leading 12 digs. Lewis matched Braun's dig total with 12, while chipping in with four assists and two aces.
The Hawks bounced back in the last match of the evening, rolling past Clark with the visitors hitting in the negatives at -.049, while registering a .240 hitting percentage. They also held the advantage in points (45-24), kills (40-19), aces (3-2), assists (38-16) and digs (55-41).
SUNY New Paltz never trailed at any point in the opening two sets against Clark. It concluded the first on a 6-0 run, served through by Weigand to claim the nine-point victory.
Lexi Stragalas got the Hawks to set point in set two, swinging for a kill on a set by
Kim Braun to push the score to 24-15. Braun went back to Stragalas on the next point, rightfully so, as the junior swung for the set-winning point to finalize the period, 25-15.
The third was slightly closer early, tied at 11. The Cougars helped the Hawks to a 15-11 lead on consecutive hitting errors, which then was followed on a
Reagan Dyba ace to push the hosts ahead, 15-11. SUNY New Paltz never trailed from that point forward and eventually got to match point at 24-20 after a dump by Braun. Stragalas sealed the win on a kill three points later, putting away a ball set by Braun, securing the 25-22 victory.
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