West Point, NY – Senior Veronika Kostova led the way once again as she posted 23 kills to lead the Hofstra Volleyball team to a four-set win over Army West Point on Saturday evening at the Black Knights Invitational. 

Sophomore Luisa Domingues was named the tournament MVP after totaling 65 digs and averaging five per set in the three matches this weekend. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Kostova and junior Leticia Valente. 

Senior Hannah Klemm posted 45 assists and six digs for Hofstra in the win. 

Set scores were 21-25, 25-23, 25-18 and 25-13 in favor of the Pride. 

Hofstra improved to 3-0 with the win. The Pride last started 3-0 in 2014. Army slipped to 0-3 with the defeat. 

For the second straight match Hofstra rallied for the four-set win after dropping the first set. It marked the first time Hofstra has won back-to-back matches when dropping the first set since November 17-18, 2012 when Hofstra defeated Towson and Delaware in the Colonial Athletic Association Championship to capture the conference title and advance to the NCAA Tournament. 

The first two sets were tight with the Cadets earning a four-point victory to open the contest before Hofstra roared back and barely earned a two-point win in the second stanza. 

The final two sets would see the Pride dominate as after seven-point victory in the third set to take its first lead of the match, Hofstra had no trouble in putting away Army West Point in the fourth stanza to the tune of a 25-13 score. 

Valente was error-free in the match with nine kills on 22 attempts for a .409 attack percentage. Sophomores Michela Rucli and Nanishka Perez each led Hofstra with four blocks. A pair of Pride players reached double figures in digs as Domingues had 19 and senior Sophia Black added 12. 

Amber Clay led Army with 15 kills, while Megan Bryn posted 13 digs for the Cadets. 

Hofstra returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts Long Island rival Stony Brook at 7 p.m. That match will take place at the David S. Mack Fitness Center (NOT the Mack Physical Education Center). 

NOTES: 
- Hofstra has now started 3-0 or better in four of the past five seasons. 
- Hofstra improved to 6-2 all-time against Army West Point. Today's match was the first since a five-set win by the Cadets in 2010. 
- Kostova has now reached double figures in kills in nine straight matches dating back to last season. 
- Black now has exactly 1,000 career digs as she entered her senior season needing 25 for the career milestone. 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Emily Campbell, Valparaiso
Taylor Graboski, Valparaiso
Sydney Haynes, Bakersfield
Sophie Flemion, Bakersfield
Vanessa Wesley, Army
Rachel Gearon, Army 
Leticia Valente, Hofstra
Veronika Kostova, Hofstra

TOURNAMENT MVP
Luisa Domingues, Hofstra