New Paltz, N.Y. - March 9, 2023 - The Springfield College men's volleyball team battled their way to an important road victory as it prevailed in five sets over SUNY New Paltz on Thursday night by the scores of 18-25, 25-18, 28-26, 16-25, 15-12.   

Ranked fifth in the most recent AVCA Division III National Coaches Poll, Springfield is now 18-2 on the year, while the Hawks who were tied for 10th in the national rankings, are 15-7. 

Jarrett Anderson (Largo, Fla.) cleared the 20-kill plateau for the fourth time this season as he produced 23 kills at a .340 clip to go along with eight digs and four aces. Chris Rouleau (Bay Shore, N.Y.) racked up a match-best seven blocks in the middle, Dylan Mulvaney (Reston, Va.) totaled 40 assists and four blocks, and Evan Costley (Simi Valley, Calif.) contributed 10 kills, six digs, and four aces. 

After a kill by Rouleau put the Pride ahead 8-6 in the opening set, the Hawks used a 6-1 run to take the lead for good in the frame. The Hawks would take the 25-18 win as they hit .429 and held the Pride to just seven kills in the stanza. 

Springfield called for a timeout leading 16-15 in the second, and out of the break, got consecutive kills from Anderson to gain some breathing room. Costley would rip an ace on set point to give Springfield a 25-18 victory of their own as Anderson was dominant with nine kills on 12 errorless attempts in the set. 

The third set featured 10 ties and seven lead changes, but Springfield was in control late following an Anderson kill which gave them a 20-17 cushion. However, the hosts used a 5-1 push to regain a one-point edge, only to have the Pride fight off two set points before Anderson scored in transition and Costley crushed an overpass for the 28-26 win. 

New Paltz hit .529 in the fourth set as it raced out to a 13-8 advantage and never looked back to force a fifth set after earning a 25-16 triumph. 

Ethan Weislo (Orchard Park, N.Y.) set the tone from the end line in the fifth and helped Springfield jump out to a 7-3 lead.  However, the hosts would chip away and take a 12-11 advantage on an ace as Springfield called for a timeout.  Coming out of the break, Rouleau buried a kill and Anderson followed by clipping an ace off the tape to put the Pride ahead 13-12.  Springfield would then force the Hawks into a pair of hitting errors as the Pride earned the road victory. 

The Pride will head off on Spring Break and hit the court again on March 25 in a tri-match with Sage and SUNY Potsdam. 

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