New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York at New Paltz opened up United Volleyball Conference play with a five-set (25-21, 20-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-10) upset victory over No. 11 nationally ranked Hobart Friday night in Elting Gymnasium.
 
The victory pushed the Hawks record to 6-8 overall and notched the team their first win over a nationally ranked opponent on the season while also ending a two-game losing skid and keeping them perfect at home at 2-0.
 
The Hawks held the advantage in every statistical category: out-hitting the Statesmen .225-.177, while finishing with more points (77-56), kills (58-45), aces (8-4), blocks (11-7), assists (56-40) and digs (48-46). Geoff Ndoria led the way offensively for SUNY New Paltz, totaling a game-high 15 kills on 31 attempts, hitting a productive .419, while adding an assist, three blocks, seven digs and a team-high 16.5 points. Nikko Tenedorio followed with 14 kills and a team-high 10 digs. Krish Jain was a force at the net, finishing with game-high six blocks while adding four digs, an ace and nine kills. Matt Marusza facilitated the offense, registering a career-high 50 assists.
 
Tenedorio brought the Hawks set point in the first period following a kill off a set by Marusza, which allowed the hosts to side out after Hobart scored two-straight to cut the score to two. Michael Spiegel served the next point for the win, as the Statesmen recorded a hitting error to solidify the 25-21 Hawks win.
 
 
Hobart rolled in set two, holding set point at 24-19 before officially tying the match at a set apiece with a kill to seal the second, 25-20. The momentum carried into the third with the Hawks facing a six-point hole at 20-14 following a hitting error. They worked their way back though, getting within three after a kill by Jain to trim the score to 21-18. However, Statesmen kept the Hawks at arms-length, managing set point at 24-20 before finalizing the 2-1 advantage two points later off a kill.
 
SUNY New Paltz showed its resiliency in the final two frames. It looked at a 19-18 deficit in the fourth, but Matt Teplansky served his team through a 4-0 stretch to allow the Hawks to re-take the lead at 21-19, as Teplansky capped the surge with a kill of an assist by Marusza. Hobart went on to tie the set at 21-all, but Tenedorio scored two straight points on a kill and an ace. The Statesmen sided out with a kill but handed SUNY New Paltz set point after a miss-serve and the fourth concluded on a bad set to help the hosts tie the match at 2-2.
 
The momentum carried over in the fifth, as the Hawks held match point thanks to an ace by Matt Kudlinski at 14-9. Tenedorio officially stamped the win two points later, swinging for a game-winning kill to give SUNY New Paltz a five-set victory.
 
The Hawks hope to build a winning streak and get back to .500 Saturday, hosting a tri-match against Elmira and Elms Saturday in Elting Gym. SUNY New Paltz opens up the day against the Soaring Eagles at 12 p.m. before concluding the day against the Blazers at 4 p.m.  


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