SUNY New Paltz has won nine of its past 10 matches.
NEW YORK -- Third-ranked SUNY New Paltz passed yet another test on Tuesday evening, topping No. 14 Baruch 3-0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-22) at the ARC Arena in non-conference action.
New Paltz hit at a .327 clip for the match and held a 7-4 edge in blocks. Baruch, meanwhile, was limited to .227 hitting.
New Paltz rises to 22-3 overall while Baruch drops to 24-10 overall.
In the first set, both teams played close the entire way, but the Hawks closed the stanza on a 3-0 run, and a kill by sophomore outside hitter Tim Ferriter gave New Paltz a 25-19 triumph in the first.
Baruch had the upper hand early in the second set, hopping out to a 10-5 advantage. The Bearcats continued to counter every comeback attempt until the Hawks tied the score at 21-all on the strength of a 5-0 run. Baruch scored the next two points to take a 23-21 edge, but New Paltz bounced back with two consecutive points of its own. After the Bearcats forced set point, the Hawks closed the set on a 3-0 tear, with Ferriter accounting for two of those points. New Paltz won the second 26-24.
New Paltz withstood strong play early in the third set by Baruch, and its resilience paid off during the stretch run. With the Bearcats up 19-17 the Hawks seized the lead after scoring on three consecutive rallies. While Baruch tied the score on the next point, New Paltz went on a 4-0 scoring spree that was capped off by a service ace by freshman middle blocker Steven Woessner to force match point at 24-20. Baruch scored two points in a row, but a Bearcat attacking error ultimately gave the Hawks a 25-22 victory in the third.
Senior outside hitter Brian Smith and Ferriter keyed the New Paltz offense with 11 kills apiece, while sophomore setter Christian Smith and junior setter John Lutjen doled out 18 assists each. Christian Smith was the team's leading blocker with four block assists.
For Baruch, senior right side Jack McKee's 13 kills led the way, and sophomore setter Scott Standring handed out 26 assists.
