Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra volleyball team continued its stellar start to Colonial Athletic Association play as the Pride defeated North Carolina A&T in four sets on Sunday afternoon at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center. Hofstra improved to 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2015. 

Senior Zyare Abdul-Rahim was spectacular in the match, slamming down 15 kills and adding three blocks, while sophomore Beatriz Alves tallied 36 assists, 11 digs, three blocks, two kills, and two service aces. 

Hofstra's overall record is now 7-8 to go along with their unblemished conference mark. The Aggies fell to 4-10 and 0-4 in CAA play. Set scores were 20-25, 25-17, 25-17, and 25-19. The 2015 team started its conference slate with five consecutive wins. 

It was a slow start for the Pride in the match, as they have done on occasion this season, but that quickly changed once the second set began. Hofstra's defense stepped up and held the Aggies to a .088 hitting percentage in knotting the contest at one set each. 

At that point it would be the Hofstra offense that would win them the match. In the third set, the Pride hit at a spectacular .429 clip, committing just two errors on 21 swings to take the lead in the match. Hofstra finished off the win with a six-point victory in the fourth and final set as Abdul-Rahim posted four kills and two blocks in the fourth stanza. 

Freshman Izadora Stedile posted 12 kills in the match for the Pride, which also got six kills, nine digs, three blocks, and two service aces from junior Yagmur Cinel and five kills and four blocks from senior Sarah Pierre. Freshman Emilly Nunes had a team-high six blocks for the Pride to go along with three kills and two service aces. 

Naiya Sawtelle led North Carolina A&T with 18 kills and added five digs. Chiara Napoli tallied 24 assists, 12 digs, three kills, and three blocks for the Aggies. 

Hofstra returns to action next weekend when it travels to Hampton for a pair of CAA matches. The Pride and the Pirates will battle at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 

NOTES
- Hofstra is now 2-0 all-time against North Carolina A&T. 
- Abdul-Rahim's 15 kills were a new season-high. She previously tallied 13 at Stony Brook on September 17. 
- For Cucco, it was her fourth match this season with at least 20 digs and the most since tallying 27 at Stony Brook on September 17. 
- The double-double by Alves was her team-leading fifth of the season.