Poughkeepsie, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz made quick work of United Volleyball Conference rival Vassar Wednesday night in Kenyon Hall.
 
The Hawks (13-5 overall, 3-0 UVC) kept the hosting Brewers to just 28 total points in the first two sets before needing extra points to complete the 3-0 sweep, 25-12, 25-16, 28-26.
 
SUNY New Paltz hit a season best .667 as a team in the first set before finishing the match hitting at a .439 clip, better than a meager .104 for Vassar. The Hawks ended with more points (53-34), kills (41-26), aces (6-1), assists (38-23) and digs 29-12) in a dominating effort.
 
A 7-0 run early in the first, served through by Geoff Ndoria brought SUNY New Paltz a 10-4 lead and it rolled the rest of the stanza. Nikko Tenedorio connected on a kill off a set from Daniel Shanley, which created a 13-point difference at 23-10 with Peter Brutschin pushing the period to set point on a kill two points later before back-to-back setting errors closed out the first, which gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
 
SUNY New Paltz held a 10-point lead in the second at 21-11 following an ace by Michael Spiegel. Serve changed hands until a kill by Krish Jain grabbed the Hawks set point at 24-14. Vassar fought to earn the next two points before Tenedorio concluded the set on a kill off an assist from Matt Marusza.  
SUNY New Paltz stretched its lead to 18-13 in the third set thanks to a block by Spiegel and Brutschin. The Brewers fought to get within three after scoring three of the next four points, but Brutschin allowed his team to side-out with a kill, giving Matt Kudlinski a chance to sub in and serve back-to-back aces to push his side two points from a win. Vassar rallied and swung for a kill on the next play which ignited a 6-0 run to tie the game at 23-all. A service error broke up the stretch, but the two sides began trading points with SUNY New Paltz holding match point at 25-, 26- and finally at 27-26, the Brewers couldn't answer, swinging for an error on a tough served ball first played by Speigel to solidify the third, 28-26 in favor of the Hawks.

Spiegel was the catalyst, leading all players with 16.5 points on 14 kills on 20 attempts, hitting an efficient .500 on the night with two aces, a block and nine digs. Ndoria followed with 10 points on eight kills, two aces and four digs. Marusza finished with a game-high 31 assists with a block and four digs.
 
No. 15 nationally ranked SUNY New Paltz is back in action Saturday, going on the road to face Arcadia at 1 p.m. before returning home Wednesday to face No. 1 Springfield at 7 p.m. in the Hawk Center.


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