After a 2023 season that saw Hofstra University’s volleyball team miss their expectations, Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur and team captain Beatriz Alves have their eyes firmly set on redemption. Both are firmly optimistic that this fall will be a different story.
Reflecting on last season’s struggles, Mansur saw the 2023 season as one of the most unexpected of her coaching career.
“Absolutely not,” Mansur said when asked if last year met expectations. “Never in my life did I think I would coach a team that didn’t make it to the [Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championships].”
“I don’t think I coached well,” Mansur said. “I think I had a bad year as a coach, and I have to do a better job so they’re able to accomplish what we need to.”
“I think the team had a lot more to give,” Alves said. “We worked hard during the season, but I don’t think we ever met the expectations we had for ourselves.”
To avoid repeating last year’s shortcomings, Mansur and her coaching staff have taken a different approach heading into 2024. One major change is a more difficult non-conference schedule to better prepare the team for the high-pressure moments of the CAA.
“Last year we went easier, whereas this year we chose to go harder to see how that’s going to help us when we get into the CAA,” Mansur said.
On the court, Alves says she is focusing on team unity to lead for success.
“The main goal for us is to get in synchrony as a team,” Alves said. “If we get there, we become unstoppable,”
Both Mansur and Alves stated synchronization as a key to bringing out the team’s full potential.
Since her freshman year, Alves has been a cornerstone of excellence for Hofstra volleyball and has been a leader for the program on and off the court. After last year’s campaign, Alves earned All-CAA First Team honors after posting 1,147 assists, 250 digs, 87 kills, 43 service aces and 42 total blocks. This recognition marked her third All-CAA honor as she was a first-team selection in 2022 and a second-team honoree in 2021. Additionally, she has been a two-time CAA Setter of the Year in 2021 and 2022.
Alves has become one of the all-time greatest setters and currently ranks sixth all-time in program history with 3,270 career assists. When speaking on Alves’ legacy, Mansur focused on championships over statistics.
“She’s already broken records,” Mansur said. “She’s one of the greatest we’ve ever had, but most of the greatest had a chance to lead their team [to a championship]. That’s where we need to get.”
When asked about her legacy, Alves modestly answered that she just hopes to be remembered as, “a good leader and a good representation of the culture of this program.”
With Alves entering her senior season and final year at Hofstra, the mantle of leadership looks to have already found its new home when she leaves: sophomore Beatriz Braga was named team captain alongside Alves and grad student Yagmur Cinel. Braga had a dominant freshman year that saw her earn CAA All-Rookie Team accolades. The outside hitter tallied 160 kills, 195 digs, 29 service aces, 14 blocks and 14 assists in her rookie year and laid a foundation that Mansur says everyone recognizes.
“Her work ethic was really brought up by her peers, and when we ask ‘hey who do you see as someone that shows what volleyball is,’ her name comes up a lot,” Mansur said.
With synchronicity as a focal point, Alves also spoke on how team chemistry is at an all-time high heading into the fall.
“We don’t have to force being together,” Alves said. “Everyone wants to be around each other.”
Hofstra Volleyball faces their first CAA opponent on Friday, Sept. 20, when they face off against Stony Brook University. This matchup is the perfect start to conference play for the Pride as they were swept by the Seawolves 3-0 in their last game of the 2023 season.
With a focus on leadership, unity and challenging themselves, Hofstra Volleyball is poised for a strong campaign. For Mansur, the goal is simple: return to the CAA Championships and contend for the title. For Alves, her goal is to secure her place not just as one of the greatest players in program history, but as a champion.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Jaylynn Nash LLC
