By Bob Bonett
Merely three days after the Pride volleyball team was swept by St. John’s in the Queens-Nassau cup, coach Lauren Netherby and the girls had to travel up to Storrs, Conn. to take on some of the nation’s top talent in the UConn Toyota Classic.
Perhaps a sign of things to come, Hofstra was more than up to the challenge.
Following an incredible 5-0 start, the Pride proceeded to drop five consecutive games, including an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the rival Red Storm. With conference play nearing on the schedule, the girls had one more opportunity to bounce back from the losing skid and enter the make-or-break CAA play on a roll, or remain in a funk. After taking two of three games in Connecticut, the Pride look primed to enter conference play at full speed.
Hofstra’s first match in the two-day tournament pitted them against the Connecticut Huskies, who had only one loss entering the match. In convincing fashion, on the backs of senior libero Shellane Ogoshi and junior outside hitter Lauren Engle, the girls swept the Huskies (8-2) at Gampel Pavilion.
Engle stood out as the team’s biggest threat during the match. After being shut down for most of the St. John’s contest, Engle came up big with eight kills in 11 attempts and no errors in the three game sweep.
Offering “stability to the attack,” according to Netherby, Ogoshi played libero for the Connecticut match nearly flawlessly, tallying four digs for the Pride (7-6).
Hofstra’s next match-up squared them up against a reigning NCAA Tournament participant in Middle Tennessee State. Entering the match, the Blue Raiders sat at 11-1 on the season, impressive enough to garner a few votes in the national AVCA Top-25 poll.
Hofstra opened up the four-game thriller by taking the first game against MTSU (12-1) 30-28. After leading the way for Hofstra in the first game, freshman outside hitter Katie Wilkerson started off hot in the second game as Hofstra amounted a 20-14 lead.
However, Middle Tennessee managed to cut into the league, proceeding on a 12-6 run to tie the score at 26. Wilkerson’s six kills would thus ultimately not be enough for the second game, as the Blue Raiders won 30-28.
“Wilkerson is an emerging rookie for us,” Netherby said. “She is able to switch positions and play libero or outside hitter, and every time we put her at outside hitter, she’s done really good things for us.”
According to Netherby, the Pride came out flat in the third game, failing to put up much of a fight losing 30-20.
“We were in full control of (MTSU) in the first game, and the second game we were in control until they crept back on us,” Netherby said. “The loss took the air out of our sails, though, so we had a tough time in the third game.”
The trend continued as the fourth game started as Hofstra dug themselves into a 6-0 hole. However, determined to keep MTSU within striking distance, the Pride went on a 7-1 run to tie the score. The teams would remain close with Hofstra eventually taking a 25-22 lead late in the game. The Blue Raiders would eventually prove to be too tough, though, taking the game 30-28, and the match as a result.
Standing at 1-1 for the tournament, the Pride was slated to wrap up their efforts against Long Island (4-9) in the event’s finale. In come-from-behind fashion, led by sophomore right side Harmonie Calinda, Hofstra would eventually take the match and finish the tournament with two wins.
After the Pride took the opening game, the Blackbirds would storm back, taking the second and third games 30-24. On the brink of elimination, Hofstra needed a quick pick-me-up, looking in the direction of Engle and Calinda.
In the final two games, the two offensive powers would garner several kills each, carrying the Pride to the win over Long Island.
“We come away from this tournament as it being one of our best,” Netherby said. “We worked through different lineups, different changes and three ankle injuries, and instead of folding under the adversity, for the first time we really got better.”
Ogoshi’s excellence throughout the tournament, (including the final match where she tallied 30 assists and 20 kills), as well as Engle’s, led the duo to be named to the All-Tournament team.
The Pride now look forward to the upcoming weeks as CAA play opens, starting with Northeastern University on the road on Sept. 22.