New Haven, CT - The Hofstra volleyball team made quick work of both of its opponents on Saturday as the Pride swept Santa Clara in the morning before finishing play at the Yale Invitational with a three-set win over Manhattan in the afternoon.
The two wins improve Hofstra's record to 4-2 this season.
Set scores were 25-23, 25-20, and 25-22 against Santa Clara and 25-15, 25-15, and 25-20 versus Manhattan. Santa Clara is now 2-4 this year, while Manhattan falls to 0-5.
In the match against Santa Clara,
Beatriz Braga led the way with 14 kills, while
Maria Afonso was also in double figures with 10 kills.
Nil Kayaalp had a team-best 11 digs.
Sonja Rundcrantz (20 assists) and
Ellie Pamatat (15 assists) shared the setting duties.
Julia Amorim had three blocks to lead the way in that category.
It was a very balanced attack for Hofstra in the match against Manhattan as six different players had at least four kills, led by Maria Alfonso (six) and
Constanza Perez Sain (six). Rundcrantz once again led the way with 16 assists, while Pamatat added 13 assists and six digs. Kayaalp had nine digs in the match, while Geovanna Gonvalves Rocha and Perez Sain both tallied three blocks.
Morgan Hayes had 14 kills to lead Santa Clara, while Grace Flanagan posted 11 kills and five blocks.
Abby Morreale had six kills and four blocks for Manhattan, which also got six kills from Brooke Johnson.
Hofstra is back in action next weekend when it hosts the Hofstra Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Pride's first match will be Friday at 4 p.m. against Liberty.
NOTES
- Hofstra picked up its first-ever win against Santa Clara in five tries and moved to 8-1 all-time against Manhattan. It was the first match against Santa Clara since 2014 and that was also the same year the Pride last faced Manhattan.
- Since the program became Division I in 1982, the Pride is now 133-41 (.764 winning percentage) against New York teams with the victory over Manhattan.
- The match against Manhattan also featured a Hofstra connection, as the Pride faced Lyla Auth, the daughter of Hofstra volleyball alum Laurel Givens Auth and Hofstra baseball alum Gerry Auth. Auth had three kills and three blocks in the contest.
