NEW PALTZ, N.Y. – The Stevenson men's volleyball team (4-7 overall) fell in three sets to eighth-ranked SUNY New Paltz (10-4) Friday night at the Hawk Center. Set scores were 19-25, 16-25, 17-25.
 
Each team hit well in the first set with Stevenson recording a .350 hit percentage while New Paltz registered a .433 hit percentage. The Hawks overtook Stevenson's lead after the first two points and never looked back, opening a 6-12 lead following an ace. Elliot De La Torre sent down a kill at the 14-21 mark. The Mustangs attempted to gain momentum with  5-4 run to round out the set but the lead was too large and the Hawks took the first set 19-25.
 
The Hawks carried their momentum to the second set, leading the frame wire-to-wire after riffling off the first five points of the frame. Aidan O'Brien sent home an ace to narrow the gap to 6-10. Ryan Thenell added a kill then an ace to set the score to 11-17. The sides traded points before Stevenson added back-to-back points on a kill from Thenell and a block by the pair of Elliot De La Torre and Justin Novoa at the 14-19 mark. New Paltz closed the frame with a 6-2 run to take the set at 16-25.
 
Stevenson jumped to its largest lead of the evening at 9-4 in the third set. New Paltz responded with a six-point run to a 9-10 lead before a Ryan Thenell kill set the frame all square at 10-10. The sides traded points before a three-point New Paltz run put the Hawks up 12-15. Stevenson was unable to string multiple points together and fell behind 15-23. The sides traded the final four points with New Paltz taking the final stanza 17-25.
 
What's Next

• Stevenson returns to action for a tri-match on Saturday, February 18 at Vassar in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Mustangs will square off with MIT at 2pm before facing Vassar at 4pm.