University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
13-14, 7-7CAA
Hofstra
19-9, 9-6CAA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOFSTRA | 22 | 25 | 16 | 16 | 1 |
| DELAWARE | 25 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Blue Hens Clinch CAA Tournament Berth With 3-1 Win Over Hofstra on Senior Day
11/6/2016 4:05:00 PM | Volleyball
• Boxscore
• Boxscore (pdf)
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware volleyball team closed its home season with an emphatic four-set (25-22, 19-25, 25-16, 25-16) victory over Hofstra on Sunday on Senior Day as the Blue Hens secured a spot in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament.
Delaware, which won for the seventh time in its last eight matches including five straight, improved to 
13-14 overall and 7-7 in league play. Hofstra dropped its second straight while falling to 19-9 overall and 9-6 in the conference.
Blue Hen freshman Maria Bellinger led the way with 18 kills, while Alexa Swann added nine kills to go with a career-high 11 blocks. Lauren Talley contributed eight kills on the day, while Erin Layne handed out 43 assists and Kori Rasmussen (left) made a team-leading 14 digs.
Five different Delaware players reached double figure digs, including Autumn Jenkins and Taylor Hollingsworth with 12 each. Layne, who added 11, and Bellinger, who chipped in with 10, each posted their fifth double-doubles of the season.
Delaware held a commanding 16-9 block advantage, with Layne setting her career-high with five blocks and Robinson and Bellinger adding four apiece.
Michela Rucli paced Hofstra with 10 kills on the afternoon, while Laura Mascuillo and Doris Bogoje each added nine.
The Blue Hens trailed 17-16 in the opening set, but captured the next four points and led the rest of the way before a kill by Bellinger, her eighth of the game, gave UD the early lead. However the Pride jumped out to a 17-7 advantage in the second set and held off a late Delaware rally to even the match at a set apiece.
The third frame was close in the early going, and the Blue Hens led by just a point at 9-8 before exploding for a seven-point spurt and leading by at least seven from there. The Pride then jumped out to a 6-1 edge in the fourth set, but Delaware responded with six straight points to take the lead. The Blue Hens were still up by just one at 17-16, but closed the match with eight consecutive points to seal the victory.
“I think I speak for every senior on the team when I say today was about as perfect as we could have imagined it,” Swann stated. “The energy in the gym from the fans was contagious, and the team played as one cohesive unit. Everyone on and off the court did their part for this team, and I feel so fortunate to have teammates as good as these guys. I loved our fight throughout each set, especially when we were down in the second one. We're also playing with a lot of confidence and passion right now. There's something about this team right now that's extraordinary, and I'm really excited to see what these next couple weeks bring for us.”
Delaware closes out its regular season next weekend at James Madison and William & Mary, before competing in the CAA Tournament on Nov. 17-20 in Wilmington, N.C.
Match Notes:
• Delaware has won five straight matches for the first time since 2012, and five consecutive CAA matches for the first time since 2011
• The Blue Hens snapped a five-match losing streak to Hofstra
• Hollingsworth surpassed the 1,500-digs mark for her career
• Swann moved into eighth place in UD history with 367 career blocks
• UD posted its highest block total since recording 17 at Penn on Sept. 15, 2015
• The Blue Hens split their 12 home matches this year, but won their final four
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Kevin Tritt at: ktritt@udel.edu (email) / 302-831-8715 (office) / 302-383-5005 (cell)
