ELMIRA, N.Y. -- No. 5 nationally-ranked SUNY New Paltz handed the Elmira College men's volleyball team a pair of United Volleyball Conference (UVC) losses in straight sets on Thursday afternoon at Speidel Gymnasium.

The Hawks (3-3, 3-2 UVC) swept Elmira's regular-season home and conference finale from the Soaring Eagles (0-15, 0-8 UVC). New Paltz won the opening match 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-18), before holding off a late surge by EC in a 3-0 victory in the nightcap (25-15, 25-19, 25-22).

No. 5 SUNY New Paltz 3, Elmira 0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-18)
While all three sets ended with the same score, the Soaring Eagles' best chance to steal a set was in the third. EC only committed three attacking errors in the third and swung at a rate of .286, the team's best percentage of the match. On the other side of the net, however, the Hawks hit a mighty .588.

Middles Ryan Mattes '23 and Matt Amoddio '22 were efficient throughout the match. Mattes, a sophomore from Easton, Pennsylvania, hit above .400 for the third time this season and was one shy of his season-high with four kills. A junior from Wethersfield, Connecticut, Amoddio floored two of his three attempts for kills (.667).

Rookie Jordan Peiser '24 led all Soaring Eagles with seven kills and six digs in the early match.

No. 5 SUNY New Paltz 3, Elmira 0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-22)
Elmira's best run of the day caught New Paltz by surprise in the third set of the late contest. The Purple and Gold won the first six points, a series that included two double-blocks and two services aces. Peiser and Mattes rejected Aaron Carrk to make it 2-0, and Mattes teamed up with Oscar Muñoz Trinidad '23 to double the lead to 4-0 with a big block against Nick O'Malley. The next two points were secured by Neiram Galán-Canales '23, as the second-year setter tossed back-to-back aces.

Forced to use a timeout, New Paltz regained its composure and slowly recovered. Elmira last led at 13-11, but the Hawks rattled off four in a row to swing momentum in their favor. The Soaring Eagles remained within a point for much of the set, lastly at 22-21 following a triple-block from Peiser, Muñoz Trinidad, and Mattes, but the Hawks ended the match by securing three of the next four points.

One category that EC controlled was blocking. The Soaring Eagles finished with a 7-to-3 advantage in blocks in the second match, and EC recorded a total of 15 block assists. Mattes (6), Muñoz Trinidad (4), and Peiser (3) led the way in that category.

News and Notes

• Elmira has faced five nationally-ranked opponents in 2021, including the 2019 D-III national champs from New Paltz.
• Thursday's doubleheader represented EC's final conference matches of the 2021 campaign.
• The Soaring Eagles had 7.5 total blocks in the late match, just a half-block shy of the team's season-high.
• Peiser had a team-high seven kills in the first bout, while Eric Jackson '23 recorded a team-high eight kills in the second contest.
• Libero Alex Adelman '22 collected 11 digs across both matches.

Up Next
The 2021 regular season concludes on Saturday, April 3, when the Soaring Eagles travel to Buffalo, New York, to face D'Youville College. The first match between EC and the Saints is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.