Volleyball completes sweep over NC A&T
The Hofstra volleyball team completed a sweep of North Carolina A&T (NC A&T) by taking their match on Sunday, Sept. 25, three sets to one.
The match got off to a bumpy start for Hofstra when the Aggies took the first set 25-20.The Pride scored early in the set with a kill after the Aggies blocked a returning ball. Chiara Cucco dove twice to keep the ball in play, however one of those attempts led to the ball hitting the net for an Aggies point. Cucco recorded 25 digs during the match, which is the second most she’s had in a match so far this year after recording 27 digs versus Stony Brook University on Saturday, Sept. 17.
“[Cucco] did a good job,” said Hofstra head coach Emily Mansur. “I know we are so tough on her, and she did such nice numbers, and we’re like Chiara, you can do better. I think she had a good match, but we know she can continue to do even more for us.”
Kennedy Stevens stood out in the first set for Hofstra as she recorded a block and a kill to even out the score. The Aggies defended their end of the court by consistently blocking each tipping attempt from the Pride.
The energy on the Pride’s side of the court seemed to shift as the second set began. While the Aggie’s blocking seemed unstoppable, the Pride figured out their ways and used it to their advantage.
In four separate instances, the Pride hit wide-open spots on the Aggies’ court. Emilly Nunes aced the Aggies to tie the score after an attack error. Zyare Abdul-Rahim racked up five kills and a block in the second set. Her powerful arm tied the score at 11-11 and 12-12. Her last three kills gave the Pride a set win, 25-17.
“It’s all about going back to our mental part,” Mansur said. We know we need to focus the minute we get on to the court.”
The game was tied at the start of the third set, but the energy continued to increase and proved to be the deciding factor. The momentum for the Aggies wavered slightly as they had a poor start to the set, but managed to score three straight points after committing a series of errors.
Naiya Sawtelle stuck two kills into the Pride’s court, tying the set. The Aggies took the lead off of an attack error from Hofstra. The Pride’s stumble slowed as they spotted the Aggies’ open spots on the court. Previously, the Aggies took advantage of the Pride’s gap in the middle of the players in the first two sets.
The Pride effectively attacked that area, leading to a four-point lead after Beatriz Alves’ kill. Cucco dove into the open middle of the court to save the ball from an Aggies point.
At one moment during the set, NC A&T’s Nadia Montalbán-el Hiriche ran back and forth from her position to the out of bounds line to keep the ball in play. Her teammate, libero Morgan Allen, was also covering a significant area of the court. The Pride won the set 25-17.
In the final set of the match, both teams were fighting for the win. A large majority of the beginning serves bounced out of bounds for both Hofstra and NC A&T, closing the gap between the teams. The Aggies had a successful tip into the Pride’s back corner of the court, tying the set at 4-4. Yagmur Cinel then hit a line kill that gave the Pride the advantage.
The momentum for Hofstra was consistent until a brief slip-up that cost them a point as Sawtelle hit an ace that left the Pride stunned.
The Aggies energy picked up in the last few rallies of the game as blocks and kills by Hannah Howell and Maya Johnson put the Pride on their heels. Hofstra then responded with a clean kill by Abdul-Rahim, and Cinel finished the game with a kill that gave the Pride the win.
The Pride are now 4-0 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.
“Every match in the CAA is huge,” Mansur said. “Anyone can beat anyone at any day. So, it’s really nice for us to start 4-0, and we just got to keep building the momentum around us.”
Hofstra’s next match is on Saturday, Oct. 1, in Hampton, Virginia, against new CAA members Hampton University at 2 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
