Hofstra volleyball postseason streak in jeopardy after Halloween loss to Northeastern

The last time Hofstra volleyball was not taking part in its conference championships George H.W Bush was in the White House and the Internet was still in its infancy stages but after today’s Halloween matinee loss to Northeastern, the Pride’s 16-year postseason streak is in serious jeopardy. The Huskies made the clutch plays when they mattered most in a four-set win at the Physical Fitness Center that puts Hofstra three games behind George Mason for the fourth and final CAA playoff spot with only four matches remaining.

Northeastern, which knocked off Hofstra twice last season including a season-ender in the CAA semifinals, continued to be a thorn in the Pride’s side winning today’s critical conference match 3-1 by scores of 25-22, 19-25, 25-20 and 25-22. The loss ends Hofstra’s two-match winning streak and gives Northeastern a one-game edge for fifth place in the CAA standings. Hofstra had defeated Northeastern earlier this season in Boston 3-1.

“We got off to some really slow starts and we let too many strings of points go,” said Hofstra head women’s volleyball coach Kristina Hernandez moments after today’s loss dropped the Pride to 10-18 and 4-6 in the CAA. “It comes down to passing and serving and we didn’t do any of those extremely well today.”

In the fourth set with Hofstra up 19-17 the match appeared like it may be bound for a fifth and deciding set. However Northeastern proceeded to score six straight points including five served up by Christine Kubik in route to the 25-22 fourth set win that clinched a joyous bus ride back to Beantown for the Huskies.

Hofstra has qualified for the CAA playoffs eight straight years since joining the conference in 2001 but will now likely need to win its final four matches and have some teams in front of them lose in order to keep that streak alive. Hofstra has made the conference playoffs for the past 16 years dating back to its days in the America East and East Coast Conference with the last year of no postseason play coming in 1992.

Knight trying to lead Pride volleyball into the CAAs

 Picture courtesy Hofstra Athletic Communications

When Monica Knight began her Hofstra volleyball career in 2006 the South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Native was apart of a senior-laden team that was the first in program history to advance past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Flash forward three years later and Knight is the senior leader on a young team hoping to advance to the Colonial Athletic Association tournament in order to give her another shot at experiencing an NCAA playoff atmosphere.

Knight has transformed from a role player on previous teams to the anchor of this year’s Pride squad that after a key road five-set win at William & Mary Saturday, is very much alive to qualify for the four-team CAA tournament next month.  The senior outside hitter had a career best 29 kills in a five-set Friday night loss Virginia Commonwealth and followed that up with a personal-best 24 digs in the triumph at William & Mary. After some initial tough adjustments to her new role as a leader, Knight is now relishing it.

“It’s been really hard but it is has also been a great learning experience,” said Knight, who leads Hofstra in kills with 362. “I have got a lot in me that I didn’t know I had.”