Freshman Laura Masciullo continued her dominant 2016 rookie year last Friday at Godwin Gymnasium as the Hofstra Pride fell to CAA opponent James Madison University, JMU, in four sets.
Masciullo finished the day with three blocks, one assist, five digs and a team-leading 20 kills.
Despite yet another dominant game from Masciullo, JMU was able to come away with the victory by winning the match with set scores of 25-23, 27-29, 25-18 and 25-18.
The loss lowers Hofstra to 16-7 on the season and 6-4 in Colonial Athletic Association play, with the Pride now having lost two of its last three conference matchups.
Of those six conference victories, all but one have come at home.
Hofstra has struggled on the road in conference play, posting just a 1-5 mark on the road in CAA play.
Overall, the Pride is just 3-5 when playing away from Hempstead this season.
The Dukes started off on top, winning the first set 25-23. In the second set, Hofstra bounced back, winning the set 29-27 and tied the match at one.
JMU controlled the rest of the match after the second set. The Dukes looked dominant in the third set, cruising to a 25-18 win after hitting nearly .400.
The Dukes then finished off the match with another strong set, winning in the fourth set, again with a score of 25-18.
A few of the bright spots for Hofstra in the match were freshman Luisa Sydlik’s match-high 38 assists and senior Sophia Black’s 11 digs, which led the team.
Errors were the difference in the match, as the Pride committed 30 errors while JMU only committed 20.
In Friday’s match against the College of William & Mary, the Pride only committed 13 errors. Hofstra went on to sweep William & Mary in three sets.
If the Pride can cut down on the errors, it will be able to get back to its winning ways.
The volleyball team returns to action on at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night, looking to bounce back after this loss.
The Pride faces the CAA leading Northeastern University Huskies at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.
Northeastern has been dominant in conference action so far this year, posting an 8-2 record in the CAA so far this season.
That mark is good for a share of the conference lead with the College of Charleston.
With six games left in the regular season, the Pride currently sit in the fourth position in the CAA standings, more than good enough for a berth in the CAA Tournament at the end of November.
Last time the Pride faced the Huskies, Hofstra was blanked in three sets, so the team will be looking for redemption in a big CAA match on Wednesday night.
