Hofstra escaped a resilient effort by UNCW in an exhilarating match Friday night. Momentum jumped in and out of the hands of both squads before the Pride eventually tightened up its grip and closed it out, winning 3-2.
The back and forth affair was initiated by UNCW in the first stanza, as the Seahawks jumped out on a quick lead and doubled Hofstra’s score, 10-5. UNCW never looked back and took the first set 25-18, allowing no lead changes to assert their command of the match.
In the second set, the Pride got out in front on a five point lead with three of the first five unanswered points coming on kills by Laura Masciullo. Much like the Seahawks in the first set, Hofstra did not allow a lead change at all throughout the second set. As soon as UNCW knotted it up at 12, Hofstra went on a run and created a five point cushion that would lead them to a 25-22 win, evening the game at one set each.
The play that stood out the most and symbolized this game was the Masciullo kill that won the second set for the Pride. In the longest play of the match, the ball traveled back and forth in response to a few impressive digs that kept almost sure kills from touching the ground and ending the set. Eventually though, the set came to an end as Hannah Klemm set Masciullo up for the crowd standing kill.
The third and fourth sets were exchanged by the two teams in the same fashion as the first couple stanzas. Although there were a few extra lead changes in the third, UNCW was able to win the set by the same score as it did in the first, 25-18.
An 18-10 lead in the fourth stanza by Hofstra was too much for the Seahawks to overcome. Despite cutting into a piece of the eight point margin Hofstra had produced, UNCW could not turn the tide and had to get ready for the game-deciding fifth set as the Pride took the fourth, 25-20.
As nitty and gritty as it could get, the fifth set was a stanza with high emotions for both teams. With the game tied at many different occurrences throughout the set, it seemed no team could hold onto any momentum they had gotten.
Sophomore Luisa Domingues stepped up for the Pride in a surprising offensive role that she usually does not obtain. Domingues forcefully put away the first three kills in Hofstra’s final five game winning points. Her aggressive tone as well as her extroverted emotion set a fire that Hofstra did not let go of. Masciullo then completed the effort with a slashing kill on an assist from Klemm.
Following the game, Pride coach Emily Mansur was quick to point out Domingues’ impact while playing a different position than she is accustomed to.
“It was unbelievable. She really did bring the fire that a lot of our hitters were lacking, and then when they saw her going for it they had to do the same and step up, it was great,” she said.
This victory for the Pride gives them eight for the conference season, trailing only Northeastern with nine.