South Orange, NJ – Sophomore
Laura Masciullo posted a match-high 17 kills, sophomore
Luisa Sydlik dished out a match-high 37 assists and junior
Caylie Denham picked up a match-high 13 digs to lead the Hofstra Volleyball team to a dominating three-set victory over Seton Hall on Tuesday evening at Walsh Gymnasium.
Set scores were 25-23, 25-18 and 25-20 in favor of Hofstra, which improved to 6-5 with the win. The Pride has now won two straight and five of its last six matches. Seton Hall slipped to 6-4 with the loss.
It was a tight first set with Hofstra trailing 17-16 before eventually taking the lead for good with a 5-3 run that made it 21-20. Masciullo would close the important first set with a kill to give Hofstra the early advantage. A 6-0 run midway through the second set broke up a close set and paved the way for the first of two straight convincing wins as the final stanza saw Hofstra use an early 10-3 run to put a stamp on the win. Junior
Michela Rucli had seven kills with no errors for a .538 attack percentage, while freshman
Ivania Ortiz chipped in with nine kills, seven digs and three service aces. Abby Thelen led the Pirates with 12 kills.
Hofstra returns to action this weekend when it hosts the Hofstra/Asics Invitational. Tournament play starts on Friday. The Pride will face Binghamton at 6 p.m. with Bryant and Syracuse facing each other in the first match of the tournament at 3:30 p.m.
NOTES
- Hofstra is 9-6 all-time against Seton Hall. This is the second straight year the Pride has defeated the Pirates.
- It was Masciullo's second straight match with double figures in kills. Sydlik has 30 or more assists in every match this season.
- Hofstra's .280 attack percentage was its second-highest of the season, only eclipsed by the .379 attack percentage in the win over George Washington on September 2.
