By Gio Annatelli - STAFF WRITER
This time last year, the Hofstra Pride volleyball team had only lost twice and was seen as heavy favorites in the CAA. This year, playing without the amazing senior class from last year ? (i.e. Kelsie Wills, Adama Aja, etc.) has left the Pride struggling in the early part of the season. Yet with nine games left before a conference tournament, don’t be surprised if Hofstra goes ring shopping again.
The major issue plaguing the Pride this year has been finishing out matches. This season The Pride has gone to five sets against teams nine different times, having a 5-4 record. Some of those matches have been a back and forth battle. In ther matches, the Pride has come from behind and won. As for the rest, Hofstra has blown the lead and either come back to win in the last set or lost the match. It’s not that the team isn’t good; it’s that the team is young and inexperienced.
Being a young and inexperienced team does grant one big advantage: in a year or two when the team has had some time to gel, the Hofstra Pride will be very dangerous. Freshman Michaela Rucli is second in the nation with 108 total blocks, and leads the conference by 23. In the conference, freshman Luisa Domingues is fifth in digs with 306 despite not being the full-time libero for the team. Sophomore Leticia Valente is fifth in the conference in kills with 273. Also starting and playing big roles for the Pride are Nanishka Perez and Brianna Montgomery.
Not only does the Pride have a young core of underclassmen, they are led by veterans Veronika Kostova, Hannah Klemm and Corrina Delgadillo. In CAA standings, Klemm leads by over 300 assists and leads the entire country with 1,026 total assists. Kostova is top 15 in the nation in points , attacks and kills. After battling all training camp with Sophia Black for the yellow jersey, Delgadillo came out on top and is sixth in the conference in digs with 266.
The Pride has some of the best players in the nation. They have the depth, should someone go down due to injury. Most importantly, they won five straight in the conference before a small hiccup over the weekend. The only thing that will hurt the Pride this year will be their inexperience causing them to lose down the stretch and late in games.
Whatever the outcome of this season is, the Pride will be a dangerous team next year and here’s why: only two players are graduating, Kaitlyn Krause and Delgadillo. If no one decides to transfer, Hofstra will basically have the same exact team back. Sophia Black can either step up and take the jersey or remain the defensive specialist, leaving the youngster Domingues to fill the job. They will also return Klemm and Kostova for a last hoorah and one last shot at qualifying for the NCAA tournament.
Within the next two years, the Hofstra Pride will be raising the Colonial Athletic Association championship trophy once again.