By Nico Bermudez -- STAFF WRITER On Friday night the Hofstra women’s volleyball team entered hostile territory to face off against the then-undefeated Towson University Tigers. Not only did the Pride defeat the Tigers, they handed them their first loss by way of a 3-0 sweep.
After winning the first 16 matches of the season, the Tigers were overwhelmed by the roar of the Pride as they lost the first set by a score of 25-23, the second 25-17 and the third 25-23. Towson consistently put up a good fight in each set, but Hofstra was able to edge them out in the first and third.
The 2016 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Year and All-CAA first teamer, Laura Masciullo, led the way for the Pride in this win. She put together an outstanding performance with 15 kills, bumping her season average up to a leading 3.81 kills per set.
Right behind her was the star freshman from Puerto Rico, Ivania Ortiz. She totaled 12 kills in the match adding to her 3.15 kills per set. Along with that, she had four service aces.
Another star of the match was the always-reliable Luisa Sydlik, who put together a 36-assist performance with seven digs.
The Pride improved to 10-7 on the season and 2-1 in conference play. With a win like this, the Pride displayed that they have a lot of fight within them and have potential to defeat any opponent – even undefeated teams like Towson. They will need to continue clinching wins as they seek to get ahead of the CAA favorite, College of Charleston.
Continuing their time on the road, the Pride will play against the University of Delaware this Sunday, Oct. 1. The Blue Hens have struggled thus far, as they stand at 3-10 with a 1-2 conference record. The game is set for a 1 p.m. start ti