Expectations run high as the State University of New York New Paltz men's volleyball team enters the 2026 season.  
 
Scoring preseason rankings of 12th in the AVCA national poll and a second-place tie in the UVC Coaches poll, the Hawks will send out on the court an experienced and seasoned squad to pursue their fourth UVC championship and seventh trip to the NCAA DIII national tournament.
 
Fourteen players, including the entire starting lineup, return from last year's UVC semifinalist squad. They will need to be in top form for each of their 27 matches, as 18th year coach Radu Petrus and longtime assistant Antonio Bonilla once again challenge their players with one of the most rigorous schedules in NCAA DIII men's volleyball. Twenty-three of their 2026 opponents saw postseason action; eight were conference champions and nine saw action in the 2025 NCAA DIII championship, including one opponent featured in the NCAA DIII Elite 8. 
 
SUNY New Paltz's 2025 campaign saw the team post a 14-14 overall record and a 4-3 UVC mark. The Hawks had impressive regular season wins over three nationally ranked squads and upset nationally ranked St. John Fisher to advance to their 11th UVC semifinal match. Offensively, the team scored 1,251 kills, with 174 service aces and 1,153 assists. Defensively they posted 985 digs, with 244 blocks on the season.
 
"Coming into it this year, we knew what to expect," said Hawks senior setter and co-captain Daniel Shanley. "Everyone coming in knowing what to do and what the expectations were was a great gateway once we got into the gym. It was kind of key to getting off on the right foot to start our season."
 
Leading the Hawks in 2026 will be one of the top young players in DIII. Sophomore Nikko Teredorio (6 '1, Outside Hitter/Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore HS) had a dream first year of collegiate volleyball. He was named AVCA Newcomer of the Year, along with earning AVCA Honorable Mention All-America honors. He was a four-time UVC Rookie of the Week honoree, leading to his being named UVC Rookie of the Year and UVC Second Team. Teredorio led the Hawks in multiple categories: tied for starts with 26, tied for sets played with 104; he was first with 393.5 points, 328 kills, 34 service aces, 176 digs; he was third with 53 blocks and had 10 or more kills 16 times, including 23 in SUNY New Paltz's upset of nationally ranked Vassar. 
 
"We have so much talent on this team and it runs from everybody," Shanley said. "We have so much depth this year. Every time we step into the gym everybody is competing. Everybody is able to make plays and we're able to hold each other to such a high standard. Game play is so good when we get in here because we're playing the best of the best. It'll be really good when we face off against those top 10 teams especially to start our season. We have so much talent in here. We know what to expect and get into a rhythm playing against such good teams."
 
 
Senior led experience rules the 2026 Hawks. Middle blocker Krish Jain (6'6, Hicksville, NY/Hicksville HS), a 2023 UVC Co-Rookie of the Year, played 101 sets, starting 26 of 26 matches, was second with 242.0 points scored, third with 165 kills, 12 service aces, 46 digs, first with 110 blocks and led the UVC with 1.1 blocks per set. Setter Daniel Shanley
(6'0, Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West HS) saw action in 85 sets, scoring 117.5 points with 82 kills and was second with 393 assists, 23 service aces and third with 108 digs. Opposite Matt Teplansky (6'3, Farmingdale, NY/Farmingdale HS) scored 154.4 points in 83 sets; was fifth with 129 kills; he also had 11 service aces, 70 digs and 25 blocks. Libero Luke Hofer (5'10, Penfield, NY/McQuaid Jesuit HS) saw action in 104 sets and was fourth with 107 digs. Middle blocker Mike Handell (6'5, Wantagh, NY/Wantagh HS) started eight matches, with 56 sets played with 76.5 points scored on 52 kills and six service aces; he had 12 digs and 33 blocks on the season.
 
"I have full confidence in one through 18 in this squad," Jain said. "We've always had a next-man-up mentality, so I'm really excited to see who steps up this year and see how everyone plays. One thing that I think is going to separate us is we're a very physical team. That's something we've been working with coach for a number of years now and I think that's what's going to take us to a win at the end."
Juniors will also lead by experience. Outside hitter Geoff Ndoria (6'4, Ronkonkoma, NY/Sachem HS North) earned one UVC Player of the Week honor, with 90 sets played, was third on the team with 227 points scored, second wish 197 kills and 14 service aces. He also contributed with 91 digs and 28 blocks. Setter Matt Marusza (6'2, Orchard Park, NY/Canisius HS) led SUNY New Paltz with 665 assists in 85 sets. He also contributed 56.5 points, 17 kills and was third with 21 service aces; he was second with 131 digs and fifth with 33 blocks.  Opposite Michael Spiegel (6'5, Webster, NY/McQuaid Jesuit HS) played 78 sets and finished third on the team with 167 kills and 21 service aces; he had 85 digs and was fifth with 35 blocks.  Outside hitter/opposite Matt Kudlinski (6'3, Suffern, NY/Suffern HS) saw action in 64 sets with 19 kills, 14 service aces and 24 digs. 
 
Aside from Tenedorio, four sophomores gained valuable court time. Libero Max DeBonis (5'7, Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore HS) played in 84 sets and was fifth on the season with 99 digs. Middle blocker Peter Brutschin (6'5, Greenville, NY/Greenville HS) played in 71 sets with 45 kills, eight service aces, 28 digs and was second with 60 blocks. Middle blockers Artair Kayser (6'5, Orangeburg, NY/Tappan Zee HS) and Tristan Rezza (6'3, Massapequa, NY/Massapequa HS) both having had outstanding high school careers, will look to use their first-year collegiate experiences to become integral keys to the Hawks journey to their fourth and final UVC crown before moving on the NEWMAC in 2027.
 
"This is something we've been building for not just this year, but something we've been building for the past three years," Jain said. "Ultimately, our goal has always been the same. It is to win the conference and then go make a run at a national championship. This is the most confident I've ever been in this squad. We bring everyone back. We're an experienced group and I'm just really excited to see where we end up. I'm really confident in this team."
 
Four newcomers also hope to become impact players for the Hawks in 2026. Ramapo College sophomore transfer outside hitter Brady Cascone (6'1, Commack, NY/Commack HS) was All-County and All-Division for Commack and had an outstanding first collegiate season with the Roadrunners. He started 27 of 28 matches with 89 sets played. He was second on the team with 285 kills and 312 points and was fourth with 116 digs.
 
Joining the Hawks is sophomore outside hitter Carl Clarke (6'1, Bronx, NY/Vanguard HS). Two first-year players have the potential to go far as Hawks. Outside John Giotis (6'4, Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West HS) was All-County and the Colts MVP a year ago, as he posted 196 kills and 19 service aces to his credit in his senior season. Outside hitter Ethan Murray (6'5, Atlantic Beach, NY/Kellenberg Memorial HS) was a four-time NSCHSAA All-League selection with 298 kills, 41 service aces, 50 blocks, 178 digs and 47 assists on a squad that was perennially one of the best on Long Island.
 
The final run to the UVC title and the NCAA DIII tournament invitation that goes with it begins for the Hawks with four road matches, starting Jan. 21 with season openers at the Cougars of Kean University.  The weekend of January 23-24 sees SUNY New Paltz in Huntingdon, PA at the Juniata College Invitational, facing host and AVCA third ranked Juniata, Eastern Mennonite University and Widener University before opening their home season against sixth ranked Stevens Institute. 
 
The Hawks play their first UVC match Feb. 13, hosting No. 17 ranked St. John Fisher University and conclude their UVC season on the road, meeting with No. 8 NYU before traveling west to take on No. 16 Hobart College and finishing at Elmira College.
 
The UVC championship tournament will be held the weekend of April 10-12 with NCAA DIII first round action beginning April 16-17; the national championship rounds are scheduled for April 24-26 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
 
"I'm really fired up," Shanley added. "Especially because we had no trip this year, we've just been in the gym day-in and day-out, so I think we're all just really excited to just face another team. So sick of playing against these guys — we just want to take all that emotion and anger we've had and show everybody what we're capable of."
 
SUNY New Paltz opens its 2026 campaign Wednesday on the road against Kean University at 7 p.m.
 
Season Preview Featuring Daniel Shanley & Krish Jain

 
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