SUNY New Paltz’s mens volleyball team traveled to the Dominican Republic for a set of matches against local teams on Jan. 9-17. Despite one of the matches being canceled, head coach Radu Petrus believes the trip was a successful journey for his players.
“It’s an experience for the students to play with different teams and also visit the area,” said Petrus.
Three matches were scheduled for the trip, but food-related illnesses affecting multiple players led to one of the matches being canceled.
Although the match was canceled, the Hawks’ 2024 season was not impacted, as the games were exhibition matches, which do not contribute to official records and serve solely to exhibit the players’ skills.
“It was a great trip playing some of the top teams over there and becoming immersed first-hand in Dominican culture,” said Luke Hofer, second-year libero. “The volleyball is a different type of playing style.”
For both Petrus and his team, the trip was about more than just volleyball.
Aside from their games, the team was able to explore the capital city of Santo Domingo, go to a museum about the island and take a trip to the beach. “We went on a couple excursions,” said Krish Jain, third-year middle blocker. “My favorite was when we went to the beach and took a boat to an island that’s above water during the day but under water during the night.”
Operating under a New York state school budget, international trips for sports teams are an uncommon luxury. “Every four years we’re allowed to go overseas, so we used that opportunity to visit a different country with a different culture,” said Petrus.
The Dominican Republic was chosen as the team’s travel destination due to SUNY New Paltz’s limited budget and pre-existing relationships. “The most important thing was the price. We had players and coaches contribute to this trip,” Petrus said. “Also, our assistant coach is from the Dominican Republic. He has connections over there, so it was easy to schedule the matches and travel arrangements.”
In addition to helping with connections and arrangements, assistant coach Tony Bonilla also showed the team around his hometown of Mao.
The Hawks finished their 2023 season with a 20-9 record and placed second overall at the United Volleyball Conference (UVC).
Petrus wants to finish the 2024 season with a UVC win, but the achievement is more easily said than done. “We’re starting with a very good group of players,” said Petrus. “We’re always looking for the perfect six, but we also want to let our younger players play to get experience.”
The 2024 spring semester marks Petrus’ 18th season as the head coach for New Paltz’s men’s volleyball team. Under his leadership, the team claimed the UVC national title in both 2016 and 2019.
As of Feb. 18, the Hawks hold a 9-6 record for their current season, and are on a three-game winning streak heading into their upcoming match against Stevens Institute of Technology.