The Hofstra University volleyball team cooled down red-hot North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) in a dominating three-set victory on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.
The Aggies came into the match on a six-match winning streak, but the strength of the Pride on both sides of the ball slowed down the Aggies.
The Pride improved to 16-8 on the season and 12-3 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play while the Aggies fell to 15-8 and 10-5 in conference play. Both teams have already punched their tickets to the CAA championship.
The Pride received contributions all over the floor in the win. Izadora Stedile continued to shine with 10 kills, seven digs, three blocks and one service ace.
Freshman Constanza Perez Sain looked sharp out on the court, recording five service aces while putting up eight kills.
“What a game changer for us. [Perez Sain] a big powerful person,” said Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur.
Yagmur Cinel made her presence known on the court as she attacked the ball, earning eight kills on the day.
Libero Chiara Cucco continued to impress on defense, putting up 15 digs across three sets.
“We love Chiara. She’s one of the best and she had a great match,” Mansur said.
The Pride started off the match strong, taking the early lead. Perez Sain got hot right out of the gate, earning three of the Pride’s first five points.
N.C. A&T picked it up on offense, capitalizing on errors from Hofstra to tie the match at six. The Pride quickly took back the lead on a kill from Cinel.
Hofstra’s defense handled the Aggies’ attacks in the middle of the set, allowing the Pride to pull ahead. Perez Sain earned back-to-back service aces, extending the Hofstra lead to 16-12. The Pride finished strong all around, as they closed out a commanding 25-16 set victory.
Hofstra’s offensive power stood strong in the first set, as four players achieved three kills. Iyanna Garvin, Stedile, Cinel and Perez Sain all dominated on the floor in the first set and carried this momentum throughout the match. Cucco held down the Pride’s defense in this set with eight digs.
The Pride took a tight win in the second set as multiple players stepped up on the serving end. Perez Sain continued her strong performance with three service aces and two kills in the set. Garvin put up back-to-back aces for the Pride to tie the score at seven.
In a seesaw match, the Aggies continued to fight. After a 7-0 run from Hofstra to go up 20-13, N.C. A&T rallied late. gaining momentum on three back-to-back kills crept their way back into the set, capitalizing on Hofstra miscues.
N.C. A&T’s Tyne Ross tied the set at 24 a piece, but Stedile finished out the set for the Pride with a kill and a block.
The third set displayed the Pride’s talents all over the court. Emily Nunes stepped up for Hofstra with four blocks and two kills.
Hofstra took an early lead over the Aggies and carried it on throughout the set. As the Aggies crept up on the Pride, Cucco had a match-changing dig against the net to preserve the lead. The Pride finished the match on a 12-4 run to claim a 25-21 set victory.
The Pride finished the series with N.C. A&T as they celebrated Senior Day with the final home match of the season on Sunday, Nov. 10. Match time was set for 1 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Ethan Albin
