New Paltz defeats Geneseo in 2018 SUNYAC volleyball championship
GENESEO, N.Y. - Second-seeded New Paltz women's volleyball has won its third State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) title after defeating top-seeded Geneseo 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-23) in the conference championship match Saturday. The Hawks' victory is the first conference championship the team has won since 2014. With the win New Paltz earned an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
In the first set, New Paltz took an early 11-5 lead that ballooned to 19-12. Geneseo came out of a timeout on a 6-1 run to pull within two, 20-18, but the Hawks scored five of the final eight points to close the first set.
The teams played a back-and-forth second set. Geneseo scored five-straight points to build a 14-10 lead, before the Hawks responded with 7-2 spurt to lead, 18-16. The Knights scored two points to knot the score, 18-18, but New Paltz finished the set with a 7-2 run to take a 2-0 lead.
Geneseo opened a 13-9 lead in the third set, but the Hawks responded with an 8-4 run to knot the score, 17-17. With the Knights clinging to a 22-20 edge, New Paltz put together a decisive 5-1 run to close the championship.
2018 Women's Volleyball All Tournament Team
Alison Sullivan - Oswego
SallyAnne Rudny - Fredonia
Alexandra Frank - Geneseo
Emily Ast - Geneseo
Madison Van Pelt - New Paltz
Kerrie Neville - New Paltz
Meredith Dignan - New Paltz (MVP)
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | New Paltz | Geneseo |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .207 | .140 |
| Blocks | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Digs | 70 | 62 |
| Aces | 5 | 4 |
