New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz earned a five-set victory over visiting St. John Fisher College Friday night 25-19, 25-18,17-25, 24-26, 15-8.
 
The Hawks improved to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in the UVC, while the Cardinals dropped to 4-4 and 0-1, respectively.
 
The hosts were dominant in the opening two sets, as they kept St. John Fisher hitting in the negatives in the opening stanza and then at zero in the second. Geoff Ndoria was the player of the match, as he totaled a game-high 20.5 points with 14 kills, along with four solo blocks and three more block assists to help stymy the Cardinals offense.
 
SUNY New Paltz got out to a comfortable 17-8 lead before St. John Fisher rallied to get within one at 18-17 and then again at 19-18. A service error allowed the Hawks to side out with Matt Teplansky serving through four consecutive points. Ndoria got up for a huge block to continue the run with Teplansky serving hard for an ace. Ndoria and Peter Brutschin then tallied a block on the next point before an attacking error allowed the Hawks to get to set point at 24-18. Nikko Tendorio finished the stanza two points later, swinging for a kill off a set by Daniel Shanley.
 
Back-to-back kills by Teplansky and Brutschin pushed SUNY New Paltz ahead, 19-13 in the second. Matt Kudlinski then subbed in to ace for the set-winning point at 25-18 to help claim his team a 2-0 lead. St. John Fisher began its comeback in the third, however, starting out with six unanswered points. It never trailed in the set and ultimately, the Cardinals forced a fourth set after winning the period, 25-17.
 
 
The ensuing set was tight throughout with the Cardinals using a 4-0 run to regain the lead and earn set point at 24-22. Tenedorio allowed the Hawks to side-out with a kill before Brady Cascone served hard, leading to a block on the outside by Mike Handell and Tenedorio to tie the set at 24-all. St. John Fisher ended a long rally on the next point to get back to set point before pushing the game into the fifth with a kill on the ensuing play to win the stanza, 26-24.  
SUNY New Paltz regrouped in the fifth and never trailed in the period. Shanley served the opening point, which led to a block by Michael Spiegel on the right side. Shanley then went to Speigel on the next play, as the opposite swung for a kill to bring his team a quick 2-0 lead. Ndoria aided in an 8-5 advantage at the switch, as he tallied a kill before registering another solo block. The Cardinals sided out with a kill but served into the net to hand the Hawks a three-point advantage.

Cascone came back in and served three crucial points after a Tendorio allowed the hosts to side out with a kill. All three serves by Cascone led to Cardinals attacking errors, which included consecutive blocks by Handell with Shanley and Tenedorio each getting up for half a block on the two plays. A kill ended the Hawks run to cut the score to 12-7, but Shanley went back to Tenedorio for a kill with Shanley serving on the following point that led to the team's season-high 15th block of the night, recorded by Handell and Spiegel. Tenedorio then put the finishing touches on the win swinging hard for a kill to end the match, 15-8.
 
The Hawks totaled 68 points in the match, their third-highest total of the season, while adding 46 kills, seven aces, 41 assists and 51 digs — all besting the Cardinals totals in the same categories. They got production all along their bench as well, as Handell and Spiegel combined for 7.5 points with Kudlinski and Cascone proving pivotal on the serving line. Shanley finished with a game-high 39 assists. Tenedorio followed Ndoria offensively with 14.5 points on 12 kills, an ace, three blocks and eight digs. Max DeBonis led the team defensively, as he ended with a season-high of 10 digs.
 
SUNY New Paltz is back in action Saturday, hosting a tri-match in the Hawk Center. The Hawks will face Rutgers-Newark at 11 a.m. before capping the afternoon against Poly at 3 p.m.


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