Despite tying the match after losing the first two sets, the Hofstra University volleyball team suffered defeat for the fourth time in 2023 on Saturday, Oct. 8, against the North Carolina A&T State University Aggies. The Pride lost the first two sets 25-23 and 25-21, but they responded by winning the next two 25-19 and 25-20 before falling 13-15.
Hofstra was led by sophomore Izadora Stedile who had her team-leading ninth double-double on the season with 17 kills and 12 digs. Alves led the team with 54 assists in this match. Nil Kayaalp finished with 20 digs, which gave her the team-best in a match for a sixth time this season.
The Pride falls to 14-5 overall and 4-4 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. Meanwhile, the Aggies improve to 3-5 in CAA play and 5-12 overall.
The first set was a real game of cat and mouse, as neither team held a lead of more than four points. The Aggies took the set thanks to two attack errors by Hofstra, one from Clara Bal and the other from Iyanna Garvin.
Set two was another back-and-forth round. A service error by Kayaalp caused the Pride to lose momentum, and five of the next six points went to the Aggies to make it 2-0 in the match.
Hofstra took back the wheel from that point on. With the score at 4-3, the Pride scored four straight points courtesy of kills by Bal, Stedile and Beatriz Alves. A Stedile attack error and a service ace by Samaya Wesson made it an 8-6 set, but two straight Aggie attack errors gave the Pride their four-point lead back. With the score tied at 12, two straight attack errors by Naiya Sawtell of the Aggies and kills for Kayaalp and Bal gave the Pride a 16-12 lead. While the Aggies got three of those back, Hofstra won ten of the next 16 points up for grabs.
The Pride took the fourth set to tie up the match. The Aggies tied up the match at 13 after being down as many as six points through the set. They capitalized on attack errors from Yagmur Cinel and Garvin as well as a service error from Kayaalp to tie. After a service ace by Laurel Rogers for the Aggies, a kill by Cinel and an attack error by Chiara Napoli won the set for Hofstra, tying the match.
The fifth set was where the heartbreak came. Hofstra took a 9-4 lead before four straight kills for the Aggies made it a 9-8 match. Hofstra got itself three more points after a service error, an attack error and a kill by Cinel to make the score 12-8. But the Aggies showed they had fight left in them and scored five straight points on three kills and two attack errors by Cinel. Hofstra tied the set up again thanks to a Cinel kill, but two straight kills by Sawtell gave the Aggies a 15-13 set win, giving them the match.
The Pride looks to return to winning ways when they host the College of William & Mary Tribe for two matches this weekend. The first match is on Saturday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Lee S.Weissman
