SUNY New Paltz Women’s Volleyball Lands Two On All-State Team

HAMILTON, NY — Seniors Christina Mazurowski (Tonawanda, NY) and Andrea Kaiser (Blue Point, NY) have both done their part throughout the 2005 season to ensure SUNY New Paltz of a successful year. In last weekend’s New York State Women’s Collegiate Athletic Association (NYSWCAA) Tournament Mazurowski and Kaiser led the sixth seeded Hawks to a fourth place finish, their best yet.

SUNY New Paltz (27-10) entered the weekend, October 29 and 30, as the six seed in a field of the top twelve Division III women’s volleyball teams. The Hawks opened the tournament with a 3-0 sweep of conference rival Potsdam. SUNY New Paltz defeated the 11th seeded Bears 30-27 in the first game, 30-17 in the second and 30-25 in the third. In the second round SUNY New Paltz upset third seeded Rochester Institute of Technology. The Hawks swept the Tigers, just as they did the Bears before them, in three games. SUNY New Paltz battled for the 30-28 win in the first game and then handled the Tigers in the last two games 30-17 and 30-19. Waiting in the next round was the number two seed, and tournament host, Ithaca College. The Bombers turned the tables on SUNY New Paltz with a sweep of their own, 30-25, 30-19, 30-22 for the 3-0 win. In the final match of the weekend the Hawks battled conference rival Cortland for third place. The Red Dragons came away with the victory in three games; 30-25, 30-21, 30-23.

Living up to their All-State accolades, Mazurowski and Kaiser both compiled some impressive stats for the weekend. Kaiser finished the weekend with 33 kills, 57 digs and seven blocks. Her best performance came in the upset of RIT, with 12 kills, 19 digs and three blocks. Mazurowski, who also earned all-tournament honors, provided the Hawks with a weekend of stellar performances. She recorded 37 kills, six service aces, and 13 blocks while registering a .326 hitting percentage for the weekend. Her weekend high for kills was 14 against Potsdam and she totaled six blocks and three service aces against Ithaca College.

Following the fourth place finish at the NYSWCAA Tournament and a 3-2 week, Mazurowski also garnered a Player of the Week award from the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) for the week ending October 30. Prior to their run at the state tournament, Mazurowski led the Hawks to a 3-1 defeat of New Jersey City University. Recording 16 kills, five service aces and five blocks, Mazurowski helped the Hawks defeat the Gothic Knights 30-23, 27-30, 30-25, 30-17.

For the full week Mazurowski accumulated 53 kills, 11 service aces, and 18 blocks while posting a .359 hitting percentage. Mazurowski finished the week ending October 30 passing 1,000-kills and 500 blocks for her career. She is now SUNY New Paltz womenýs volleyball all-time statistical leader for blocks with 511. Kaiser finished the week as the all-time leader in games played with 475. She is third all-time in kills (1198) and blocks (209) and second all-time in digs (1,365).

The SUNY New Paltz women’s volleyball team will compete, as the number two seed, this weekend, November 4 and 5, at the SUNYAC Tournament hosted by Cortland.