SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Hunter College men's volleyball team's journey in the inaugural NCAA Championship run came to an end on Saturday afternoon as the Hawks fell to No. 1 Springfield College, 3-0 (13-25, 24-26, 7-25) at Blake Arena.

Springfield had the Hawks' number offensively, limiting First Team All-American and 2012 NCAA Volleyball All-Tournametn Team selection Christopher Newcomb to just 11 kills in three sets. Jerin Kallickal added four while Eric Barty and John Gemegah each had three. The Hawks finished with 22 total kills on -.038 attacking.

Alistair Matthews finished with a match-high 16 kills on .560 attacking to lead the Pride which finished with 39 kills on .478 attacking.

After dropping the first, 25-13, Hunter battled valiantly in the second set pushing the Pride to the limit. Despite the Hawks best efforts unfortunately, the Pride came roaring back to take the set 26-24. The Hawks clawed back from an early 6-2 deficit to tie things up. The teams battled back and forth and after tying the set at 18-all on a kill from Newcomb the Hawks took their first lead of the set (19-18) on a Pride attack error. Two Newcomb kills and a Pride attack error later, the Hawks pushed ahead 23-20 but a kill from Springfield quelled the Hunter rally, making it a 23-21 affair. The Pride then surged back in a big way, using a 6-1 run in the final plays of the set to win 26-24.

Springfield—playing on its home court, came out with more spark in the third and final set, jumping out to a 21-4 advantage. A string of Pride mishaps ended that streak as a service error, bad set and from the Pride broke that streak and then a bad set awarded Hunter two points making it 21-6. Jonathan Park registered a late kill to make it 23-7 before a Hunter service error and Pride service ace closed out the set, 25-7.

The victory advances Springfield to the first-ever NCAA Championship match against the winner of UC-Santa Barbara/Carthage and will occur on Sunday, April 29 at 4pm.

Hunter concludes its impressive campaign with a 26-9 record.

2012 NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball All-Tournament Team:
Mike Pelletier -- Springfield (MVP)
Greg Falcone -- Springfield
Keaton Pieper -- Springfield
Randy Hansen -- Carthage
Connor Wexter -- Carthage
Christopher Newcomb -- Hunter
Salvatore La Cavera III -- UC-Santa Cruz