By Angelo Brussich, Special to The Chronicle
It was the tale of two games for the Hofstra University volleyball team with one of sloppy play and the other of sheer dominance this past weekend.
The Pride took part in two Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) games, splitting the games 1-1, improving its conference record to 2-1 on the season while also upping its season record to 11-8.
The differences in the two games were very apparent, as unforced errors and failure to capitalize on opportunities was the story of Friday night's game against CAA opponent Towson.
Sunday's game against Delaware was a complete turnaround with Hofstra winning in straight sets and dominating most portions of play.
Coming into the game Friday, the Pride was coming off a hard fought win against Northwestern University and were hoping to continue its dominance at home, coming into the match 7-0 at the Physical Education Building.
Towson was bound to be a difficult opponent, coming into the game with a 14-4 record. The first set of the match proved to be a microcosm of the game as play was back and forth with each team fighting for every point. Although it had fallen behind early, the Pride continued to keep the match close.
"The first set we were pretty well balanced out," said Hofstra coach Kristina Hernandez.
Riding its .424 hitting percentage, the highest of the game, the Pride pulled out the victory 25-22.
The start proved to be the most positive part of the match for the Pride as Towson took the next three sets in convincing fashion.
In the second set, Towson had jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and never looked back. The Pride continuously found itself climbing its way back, only to fall back down again.
The comeback proved too great a task as Towson won the set 25-20 with their highest hitting percentage of the game at .314.
Hofstra's freshman outside hitter Kelsie Wills was the stand out of the first two sets with fifteen kills before dropping off as Towson adjusted its defense towards her.
Set three proved to be another game of catch up for the Pride, but a furious comeback presented a chance to put the game away and with a 24-22 lead, the blue and gold could not finish off Towson.
"I think that we started off a little sloppy with a lot of unforced errors," said Hernandez. "It's definitely something that we need to work on".
In the fourth set, the Pride tied the game multiple times but could never take the lead, eventually losing 25-20. An abysmal .024 hitting percentage highlighted the fourth set struggles for Hofstra.
According to Hernandez, the loss could be contributed to poor defense and unforced errors.
"Our defense was definitely not where it needs to be. We were not ready a lot," said Hernandez. "I don't think our defense was as great as it usually is". The Pride fell to 10-8 after the loss and a 1-1 record in conference play.
Sunday afternoon brought a new day and a new CAA opponent in Delaware. Hofstra turned things around, coming out with a very potent offense that took control of the game early and set the tone of the match.
A decisive 25-15 victory first set victory was followed by an equally impressive 25-19 triumph with the team hitting at a .593 percentage in the second stanza.
"Everyone was doing their part spreading out the offense and making it a bit easier to have some solo blocks makes it easier for us offensively," said Hernandez.
The third and final set turned out to be the closest of the three, as it seemed that the Pride became somewhat complacent.
"In the third set we got a little sloppy at the end," said Hernandez. "We want to work on keeping teams out of matches".
After being down 17-15 the Pride rode a 5-0 run to take the lead at 20-17 and holding on until the end despite a Delaware comeback that cut the score to 20-19.
Hofstra scored five of the last six points to complete the dominant sweep, improving its record to 11-8 on the season and 2-1 in conference play.
"We sat them [the team] down and watched film from what we did against Towson," said Hernandez. "I think they realized just how many errors we were giving away in a match and that was one of the big focuses coming into this match".
Unforced errors as well as impressive play from key contributors helped Hofstra to maintain its dominant home record.
Junior libero Kylee Maneja won the CAA Defensive Player of the Week award after her dominant performance against Delaware with 24 digs.
Wills also came away with an award, winning CAA Rookie of the Week for the second time this season with her powerful and dominant play in both games.