University Park, PA -
Beatriz Braga showed why she was the Preseason CAA Player of the Year as she was outstanding with 20 kills and a .516 attack percentage in the four-set season-opening win by the Hofstra volleyball team over High Point on Saturday afternoon at Rec Hall. The Pride has now won seven consecutive season openers and is 31-14 all-time in season openers.
Hofstra won by scores of 26-24, 22-25, 25-20, and 25-15. The win moved the Pride to 1-0 to start 2026, while High Point slipped to 1-1.
Hofstra trailed by as many as eight in the opening stanza and even faced a late 20-14 deficit before rallying with an 11-4 run to take the first set. That set the tone for the match as Hofstra would rally once again in the third set to take the lead in the contest before dominating the fourth and final set to earn the win in the season opener.
The Pride shared the setting duties with
Ellie Pamatat posting 24 assists and seven digs and
Sonja Rundcrantz tallying 20 assists and 11 digs.
Constanza Perez Sain joined Braga in double figures with 11 kills and added five blocks.
Maria Afonso had nine kills and five blocks in her Pride debut, while
Julia Amorim had six blocks and six kills. Geovanna Gonçalves Rocha posted six blocks and four kills in her Hofstra debut.
Nil Kayaalp tied for team-high honors with 11 digs.
Maya Bukovcan had 11 kills for High Point, which also got 10 kills from Gabby Hill.
Hofstra is back in action on Sunday when it takes on Connecticut at 12 p.m. and then #10 Penn State at 6 p.m. in the final day at the Penn State Invitational.
NOTES
- Hofstra is now 2-0 all-time against High Point. This was the first meeting since a five-set win over High Point in 2010.
- Braga reached 20 or more kills for the eighth time in her career.
- Braga has reached double figures in kills in nine consecutive matches dating back to last season.
- Kayaalp has reached double figures in digs in 11 straight matches dating back to 2025.
- Pamatat has reached double figures in assists in five consecutive matches dating back to last season.
