Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
Crossover Website

ELMIRA, N.Y. – The No. 1 State University of New York at New Paltz men's volleyball team split its Saturday matches at a United Volleyball Conference (UVC) Crossover hosted by Elmira College, beating Penn State Behrend, 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-14), before dropping a 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 19-25, 15-12) decision to Medaille College.
 
New Paltz moves to 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the UVC. The Hawks next face Hilbert College tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. Penn State Behrend drops to 11-5 overall, 5-4 UVC, while Medaille rises to 8-6 overall, 7-3 UVC. The Nittany Lions face off with No. 3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology tomorrow at 1 p.m., while the Mavericks meet up with MIT at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
 
No. 1 New Paltz 3, Penn State Behrend 0
 
The Hawks made quick work of the Nittany Lions in their first match of the day, outhitting Penn State Behrend, .410-to-.106. New Paltz also held a 9-3 edge in service aces.
 
After trailing, 4-3, in the first set, New Paltz went on a 4-0 run, with a kill by junior setter John Lutjen (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) giving the Hawks a 7-4 lead. New Paltz never let Penn State Behrend gather any momentum from that point forward in the set, winning the first by a 25-20 score.
 
Once again, the Hawks trailed by a point early (5-4), this time in the second set. New Paltz countered with a 6-0 scoring spree, though, seizing a 10-5 advantage. A few more big runs later on in the stanza ultimately gave the Hawks a 25-12 victory in the set.
 
A pair of 3-0 spurts early in the third set vaulted New Paltz into an 11-4 edge. While Penn State Behrend brought the score to 16-11 in favor of the Hawks, New Paltz went on a 6-0 tear—which included three service aces by sophomore setter Christian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa)—to pull ahead, 22-11. The Hawks closed out the match with a 25-14 triumph in the third.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Tim Ferriter (Rochester, N.Y./West Irondequoit) keyed the Hawk offense with nine kills, while Smith and Lutjen posted 21 and 11 assists, respectively. Senior outside hitter Brian Smith (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) led the team's defensive efforts with seven digs and four total blocks.
 
Senior outside hitters Grant Kocher and Nathan Steele tallied five kills each for the Nittany Lions, while junior libero Derek Polishen recorded four digs.
 
Medaille 3, No. 1 New Paltz 2
 
The Mavericks engaged the Hawks in a two-hour marathon, which ended with Medaille never trailing in the fifth set en route to the win.
 
After New Paltz won the fourth set convincingly to force a deciding fifth, Medaille hopped out to a 7-4 advantage in the final frame. New Paltz scored two straight points thanks to the efforts of Christian Smith to draw within one, but a 4-0 Maverick run put Medaille on top, 11-6. The Hawks went on a 3-0 spurt to pull within two, but they were unable to score consecutive points down the stretch, as Medaille pulled out the victory.
 
Both teams battled in the first until New Paltz scored six of seven points midway through the frame to claim a 19-14 edge. Medaille was unable to make a run late, as the Hawks won the set, 25-22.
 
The second set saw both squads go back and forth in the early goings, but a 4-0 Medaille run broke a 10-all tie and put the Mavericks in the driver's seat. New Paltz pulled within two points a few times down the stretch, and Medaille claimed the second, 25-22.
 
With the score deadlocked at 19-all in the third, Medaille scored six of the final eight points to pull out a 25-21 triumph in the set. The Hawks turned the tables in the fourth, pulling away from an 18-all tie by scoring six straight points. New Paltz picked up a 25-19 win in the fourth.
 
New Paltz was hampered by a .245 hitting percentage, while Medaille hit .271. Both teams had 10 total blocks, while the Hawks had a 3-1 cushion in service aces.
 
Four Hawks reached double-digit figures in kills, led by Ferriter's 18. Sophomore middle blocker Christopher Husmann (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa), freshman middle blocker Steven Woessner (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa) and Christian Smith added 13, 12 and 11 kills respectively. Christian Smith and Lutjen handed out 41 and 18 assists, respectively, while both setters posted double-digit dig totals. Christian Smith defended 11 digs, while Lutjen chipped in with 10. Woessner reinforced the front row defensively with five total blocks.
 
Junior outside hitter David Hill, senior right side Trevor Barrett and junior middle blocker Jordan James keyed the Medaille attack with 16, 15 and 11 kills, respectively. Junior setter David Riggsby doled out 49 assists, while Barrett had 12 digs.