Hempstead, NY -
Maria Afonso matched her season-high with 15 kills, and the Hofstra University volleyball team got contributions across the lineup in a 3-1 (25-12, 23-25, 25-13, 25-22) win over North Carolina A&T Friday afternoon at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center.
With the win, Hofstra (18-5, 13-2 CAA) now awaits the result of Charleston's match at Campbell to learn where it stands in the chase for a share of the CAA regular-season title. North Carolina A&T fell to 12-14 overall and 7-8 in league play.
Seven Pride players recorded kills in another balanced attack, led by Afonso's 15 on .273 hitting. It was her highest kill total since Sept. 25 at Stony Brook, after she had posted no more than seven in any of her previous seven appearances, and it tied her season-high from Sept. 4 at Yale. The sophomore also chipped in eight digs, two blocks and an ace for a match-high 17 points.
Beatriz Braga recorded her team-high 12th double-double of the season with 12 kills on .333 hitting and 13 digs.
Ellie Pamatat is second on the team with five double-doubles.
Constanza Perez Sain reached double figures with 10 kills and three blocks.
Lauren Konzen continued her strong finish to her senior season, recording 19 digs, one shy of the career high of 20 she set at William & Mary on Oct. 23. Konzen has averaged 15.2 digs over her last six matches.
Dawn Pena and
Geovanna Goncalves Rocha were both effective at the net. Pena posted seven kills and five blocks, and Goncalves Rocha hit .400 with six kills and five blocks.
Julia Amorim led the Pride with six rejections as Hofstra outblocked A&T, 11-4.
Pamatat dished out 24 assists and
Sonja Rundcrantz added 22. Hofstra hit .283 for the afternoon and held A&T to .062, forcing 31 attack errors.
Hofstra took control early in the first set, turning a 5-4 lead into a 14-4 advantage with a 9-0 run, all with Afonso at the service line. Pena and Amorim combined on three blocks during the stretch. Six Pride players recorded kills in the set, led by Afonso's four, and Hofstra hit .474 while holding the Aggies to -.103. The 12 points allowed tied the Pride's fewest in an opening set this season, matching their 25-12 start against Northeastern on Oct. 16. Hofstra improved to 13-2 this season when winning the first set.
A&T answered in a back-and-forth second set that featured six ties and two lead changes. The Pride's attack cooled to .094 while the Aggies hit .179. Hofstra trailed 24-19 before rattling off four straight points with Braga serving, capped by her ace, to pull within 24-23, but A&T closed out the set on the next point.
Hofstra's blockers made life difficult for the Aggies from the start of the third set. Goncalves Rocha was in on blocks on each of the first two points, and the Pride opened a 10-4 lead. Hofstra recorded four blocks in the set, hit .367 and held A&T to -.029, then pulled away with a 7-0 run to close it out behind Afonso's serving.
The Pride led 7-3 early in the fourth set before A&T rallied to tie it at 7-7. Hofstra responded with a 7-2 run to take a 15-10 lead, but the Aggies battled back to level things at 19-19.
Melis Basaran's kill put the Pride back in front, and Hofstra took a 22-19 lead before A&T closed within 22-21. With the Pride ahead 23-21, a Perez Sain attack was initially called out, but a Hofstra challenge showed the ball nicked the end line, giving the Pride match point. Braga then ended it with a hard-struck kill from the back row.
Hofstra and North Carolina A&T close the regular season Saturday (Nov. 14) at 2 p.m. on FloCollege. Following the match, Hofstra will honor seniors
Beatriz Braga,
Nil Kayaalp, and
Lauren Konzen.
NOTES
- Hofstra's 11 blocks gave the Pride double-digit blocks in a second-straight match and for the third time in their last four.
- The Pride have hit better than .200 in eight straight matches at the PEC and in eight of nine home matches this season. The exception was a .191 mark against Liberty on Sept. 11.
- Pena's seven kills matched her second-highest total of the season, from William & Mary on Oct. 23. Her season-high is nine against Liberty on Sept. 11.
- Goncalves Rocha's six kills were her most since she had seven against Campbell on Oct. 2.
- Braga reached double figures in kills for a team-high 16th time this season. She now has 1,014 career kills, two shy of tying Terry Puccio (1,016, 1987-90) for 18th on Hofstra's all-time list.
