NEW PALTZ, NY – The State University of New York New Paltz women's volleyball team wrapped up its home New Paltz Challenge Saturday inside the Hawk Center, splitting a pair of matches against Moravian University and Alfred University to finish the tournament 2-1 overall.
The Hawks opened Saturday against Moravian, battling the Greyhounds through three competitive sets before falling, 25-21, 25-19 and 25-21. Despite the straight-set result, SUNY New Paltz held a 41-35 advantage in kills and totaled 70 digs, but Moravian's efficiency proved to be the difference. The Greyhounds committed just nine attacking errors and hit .202 compared to the Hawks' .137 clip.
The opening set featured 11 ties and four lead changes before Moravian pulled away late for the 25-21 win. SUNY New Paltz responded with its best offensive frame of the match in the second, totaling 15 kills and hitting .222, but the Greyhounds countered at a .308 clip to take a two-set advantage. The Hawks added another 12 kills in the third, but Moravian closed out the match with another 25-21 victory.
Lexi Stragalas paced SUNY New Paltz with 10 kills on a .250 hitting percentage, while Genevieve Boyle added eight kills and two aces. Lola Konopa and Nora Keating each finished with seven kills, and Christine Balbona added six. Kim Braun dished out 19 assists, Elena Savage totaled 16 and Jacey Bitter led the defensive effort with 18 digs, while Jordyn Lewis followed with 15.
SUNY New Paltz responded emphatically in its tournament finale against Alfred, bouncing back from the morning setback with a straight-set victory, 25-20, 25-18 and 25-18. The opening frame was tightly contested with six ties and four lead changes, but the Hawks eventually created separation to take a 1-0 advantage
The Hawks carried that momentum into the second, using their defense and pressure from the service line to keep Alfred out of rhythm. The Saxons managed just four kills against eight attacking errors in the set, hitting -.105 as SUNY New Paltz pulled away for a 25-18 victory and commanding two-set lead.
Alfred provided its strongest push early in the third, which featured 10 ties and four lead changes, but SUNY New Paltz answered with its best offensive stretch of the match. The Hawks hammered down 16 kills on 31 swings while hitting .323 in the set, eventually breaking away from the Saxons to earn another 25-18 decision and complete the sweep.
SUNY New Paltz controlled the overall numbers in the victory, finishing with a 34-20 advantage in kills while outhitting Alfred .182 to -.051. The Hawks forced the Saxons into 25 attacking errors and added 11 service aces, five total blocks and 45 digs.
Genevieve Boyle led the offense with nine kills on a .286 hitting percentage, adding six digs and an ace. Christine Balbona put together an efficient performance with seven kills at a .250 clip while totaling a solo block and three block assists. Lexi Stragalas added six kills on .263 hitting, while Tess Egan contributed five kills and hit .250.
The Hawks were especially effective from the service line, led by Kim Braun's six aces to go along with 12 assists and seven digs. Riley Guzman added two aces, while Elena Savage recorded 14 assists, and Jacklyn Bitter paced the defensive effort with nine digs.
The victory moved SUNY New Paltz to 6-9 overall and capped the New Paltz Challenge with a 2-1 tournament record, including straight-set victories over John Jay and Alfred.
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