ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Top-ranked New Paltz State split its Saturday matches at a United Volleyball Conference Crossover hosted by Elmira, 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. New Paltz moves to 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the UVC.
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.
Sophomore outside hitter Tim Ferriter keyed the Hawk offense with nine kills, while Christian Smith and John Lutjen posted 21 and 11 assists, respectively. Senior outside hitter Brian Smith 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 consecutive 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.
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.
