With the end of the 2022 regular season in the rearview mirror, the Hofstra volleyball team looks ahead to their first opponent in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship tournament matchup: the College of William and Mary Tribe (W&M).

Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur led the team through a steady season that saw the Pride finish 17-11 overall record and 14-2 in conference, securing the second seed in playoffs. Highlights of the season included a 12-game long winning streak, but it was cut short at the end of the regular season with a pair of games against the Towson Tigers.

W&M’s record tells a different story: 6-10 against CAA opponents and 11-13 overall. Led by the head coach Tim Doyle, the Tribe found themselves locked in at the seventh seed in the tournament. This will be there their first appearance in the tournament since the 2015 season.  

The two teams didn’t meet this season, but the Pride has history on their side as they haven’t lost to the Tribe since 2013.

The last time the teams connected, which was October 2021, red-shirt senior Zyare Abdul-Rahim and sophomore Florencia Wolkwyski combined for 35 kills in both sweeps.

On the Tribe’s side of the net, junior outside hitter Maddie Meyers, combined for 19 kills and 13 digs against the Pride in that same October matchup.

Hofstra’s last appearance in the conference tournament was last season, and the Pride went as far as the semifinals until the Elon Phoenix bested them in a heated four-set game.

The match starts at 4:30 p.m. as the CAA tournament commences in Towson, Maryland on Thursday, Nov. 17.

Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein