On Saturday, April 12, the #1 NYU men's volleyball team played the #17 New Paltz Hawks in Manhattan at the UVC Semifinals.

The Violets (24-0, 8-0) beat the Hawks (14-14, 4-4) in four sets: 25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 25-19.

The first set was thrilling as both teams fought to gain a lead. NYU was able to wedge a three-point lead at 21-18 with a kill from Emerson Evans assisted by Devyn Nguyen. New Paltz closed the gap to within a point but the Violets finished the set with a kill from Lucas Osiecki, setting the tone for the next set. 

In the second set, New Paltz led until Bennet Tchaikovsky forced an early Hawks timeout at 8-6 due to pressure from his serve. The Hawks regained the serve out of the time out through a strategic tip off the hands of the Violets block.

After this, NYU  gained momentum as they strung together points through hustle plays led by Nguyen and strong defense at the net. NYU reported five blocks in the second set alone. 

The final set began with a kill from team captain, Buddy Cohen. That energy persisted as the Violets created a four-point gap at 5-1 until a mis-serve which gave New Paltz the serve. The Hawks closed the gap to 6-5, then Tchaikovsky subbed in to serve and forced a Hawks timeout.

The break successfully froze Tchaikovsky, but the Violets remained unfazed earning points to bring the score to 13-8 after which New Paltz took another timeout.

The Hawks returned to the court and strung together five consecutive points, eliminating the Violet lead at 13-13. Then two points,  a setter dump, and a block flipped the momentum to favor the Hawks as they took the lead for the first time in the set 17-15.

The Violets responded to their lead, tying up the score at 18-18. The teams went back and forth until the Hawks concluded the set with a block at 25-23, extending the match to a fourth set. 

The final set saw NYU take an early lead with a 7-2 start, forcing a New Paltz timeout.  They held onto this lead and won the match at 25-19.

Nguyen had an amazing match, showcasing why he was selected as UVC Co-Player of the Year as a sophomore. He had two kills, 43 assists, and nine digs. Evans and Osiecki were a force on offense, posting 18 and 17 kills, respectively. 

Zach Knudsen was key in the back row for the Violets. He started the NYU offense with a great first ball off the serve. His defense was strong, and he recorded 14 digs in the match. Cohen had four blocks. 

The Violets compete for the UVC Conference Championship tomorrow in the John A. Paulson Center at 2pm. Their competitor will be determined in tonight's semifinal match where #15 Nazareth University(18-10, 5-2) will play #9 Vassar College(22-5, 4-3) at 5pm. The winner will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, taking place next weekend.