The season came to an end last Friday afternoon for the Women’s volleyball team after losing to Haverford College in the first round of the Div. III Tournament.
The games were close all match while the Hawks had a 4-3 advantage in team blocks. The difference in the match came in the hitting percentage, when Haverford edged New Paltz .232 to .117.
Third-year outside hitter and 2014 SUNYAC Player of the Year Becca Borquist lead the way for the Hawks with 13 kills and a .211 hitting percentage. Fourth-year middle hitter Ali Coleman led the team with three service aces while fourth-year libero Katy Herbst lead the team in digs with 21.
After winning the conference tournament over Fredonia on Nov. 9, the Hawks earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and the No. 3 seed in their region, where they headed to matchup with Haverford. The Hawks were swept by Haverford in straight sets, 25-21, 25-15 and 25-23. They end their season with a 31-6 record and their second SUNYAC conference championship.
“We just didn’t perform as well as we’re capable of,” Head Coach Matt Giufre said. “It had nothing to do with their preparation and it had nothing to do with their effort. It just came down to physical performance and that’s the way the sport goes.”
Giufre said he thought that the season was a success after graduating three players last year, two of which were starters.
“The team was very disciplined and very focused this year,” Giufre said. “They wanted to win a conference championship, which we did, [and] they wanted to win a regional championship, which unfortunately we did not do – but they never strayed from that focus.”
The team is only graduating three players this year: Coleman, right side Alex Bizub and Herbst. Coleman and Bizub started in 34 and 24 matches respectively and all three players contributed to the teams success this season.
“I think everyone is always sad to see a season end, or in the seniors’ case, our collegiate career,” Herbst said. “We couldn’t be happier to have won our conference championships.”