Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, tkgallisath@noctrl.edu

Jan. 20, 2023 - Facing a tough challenge for their opening match of the 2023 season, the sixth-ranked North Central College men's volleyball team fell 3-1 against seventh-ranked SUNY New Paltz inside Gregory Arena on Friday.

The Cardinals got off to a strong start in the first set having the first three points of the match before the Hawks answered back with four of their own to take the lead. The score stayed within two until New Paltz paired a kill with an assist to take the advantage at 13-9. Kills by Austin Scott and Jared Moser attempted to even the score but the Hawks ultimately took set one 25-22.

Set two saw much of the same with North Central taking an early 3-0 lead until a pair of attack errors by the Cardinals evened the score at 13-13. The Cardinals battled for the lead until a pair of errors put the Hawks ahead 25-24. A kill by Jake Miller brought the score back even but a Hawks kill and Cardinal error gave the set to New Palts 27-25.

The Hawks took the lead early in set three at 4-0 before the Cardinals matched that effort with a four-point run of their own. A service ace by Moser put North Central ahead by three to create a lead they wouldn't lose for the remainder of the set. Kills by Moser and Jeremy Cardenas sealed the set three win 25-21.

Set four started with a back-and-forth battle for the lead but when New Paltz pulled ahead at 8-5, the Hawks never wavered. Errors haunted the Cardinals in the fourth set as their .435 hitting percentage from set three dropped to .050 in set four. The Cardinals fell 25-15 in the final set.

Miller totaled 14 kills on the night while Moser and Cardenas both tallied 11. Tyler Donovan had 40 of the team's 44 assists. Miller and Scott each had nine digs on the night while Nathan Jones led the Cardinals with five blocks.

The Hawks were led by Pat Wing in kills (19) and digs (7) while Kyle Shaffer recorded 49 assists. John Ronan recorded three blocks and Krish Jain led New Paltz with two assists on the night.

North Central hosts Illinois Tech and Wittenberg on Saturday, Jan. 21 for a triangular inside Gregory Arena. The Cardinals will take on Wittenberg at 12 p.m. before challenging Illinois Tech at 5 p.m. Wittenberg and Illinois Tech will play a neutral site match at 2:30 p.m.

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