NEW PALTZ, NY — The SUNY New Paltz women’s volleyball team dropped its season opener in five games to Stevens Tech this evening at Elting Gymnasium. The Hawks fell 15-13 in the fifth and deciding game after building a 2-0 lead in the match.
Junior outside hitter Andrea Kaiser (Blue Point, NY) had four kills and sophomore right side Franchesca Rodriguez (Schenectady, NY) had two service aces to help SUNY New Paltz earn a 30-28 win in the opening game.
Rodriguez paced the Hawks with four kills in six attempts in the second game to help the Hawks prevail 30-24.
Stevens Tech (1-0) came out strong in the third game and built an early 7-3 lead. From there, the Ducks scored 10 of the next 14 points to extend their margin to 17-7. The Hawks managed to trim the Stevens Tech lead to 20-18 but the Ducks closed out the game on a 10-3 run to prevail 30-21.
Behind the play of Dawn Herring and Margeritte Abdelkodoos, Stevens Tech evened up the match with a 30-28 win in the fourth game.
In the fifth game, SUNY New Paltz (0-1) led 11-10, before Stevens Tech scored back-to-back points to go ahead 12-11. After the Hawks pulled even at 13-13, the Ducks scored the final two points, the last on a kill by Herring, to complete the comeback.
Kaiser led the Hawks with 12 kills. Junior middle hitter Christina Mazurowski (Tonawanda, NY) finished the match with 10 kills and nine blocks.
Herring had 29 kills for the Ducks and set the school’s single-match record.
SUNY New Paltz will play in the Red Dragon Classic on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 3-4).
