HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Sophomore Olivia Finckel matched her career-high with 14 kills to lead the Towson University volleyball team to a 3-0 win at Hofstra University on Friday night in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) action. The Tigers (22-3, 8-3 CAA) avenged one of their early season losses while extending their current win streak to six straight matches.

THE BASICS
Towson 3, Hofstra 0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-18)
David S. Mack Physical Education Center, Hempstead, N.Y.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Hofstra (14-11, 6-5 CAA) got off to a quick start as the Pride scored the first seven points of the first set. Laura Masciullo had a pair of early kills for Hofstra.
• The Tigers slowly battled their way back into the set as Finckel's kill cut the Towson deficit to two, 8-6.
• A block from Michela Rucli pushed the Pride lead back to four, 12-8.
• Towson used a 10-3 run to take an 18-15 edge in the set. Junior Jocelyn Kuilan had a pair of service aces and a block assist during that key stretch.
• Kills from Kuilan and junior Olamide Sonuga pushed the Black and Gold advantage to 21-18.
• The two teams traded points before a kill from senior Julymar Otero secured a 25-23 set win for the visitors.
• With the second set tied at 7-7, Towson went on a 5-1 run and took a 12-8 lead. That run which forced the Pride to use their first timeout featured a kill and a block from Finckel and fellow sophomore Silvia Grassini.
• The two teams traded points as a kill from sophomore Annie Ertz allowed the Black and Gold to take an 18-15 edge.
• Hofstra battled back to tie the set at 18-18 and the two sides went back-and-forth. Neither team took a lead of more than a point while the Tigers and Pride fought through seven ties.
• A block from the Pride knotted the stanza at 24-24 but kills from sophomore Marrisa Wonders and Kuilan closed out a 26-24 set win for the visitors. Towson took a 2-0 lead in the match.
• Towson and Hofstra went point-for-point early in the third set and were tied at 8-8.
• Three straight points by the Tigers gave the Black and Gold an 11-8 lead and forced the Pride to use an early timeout.
• Coming out of the timeout, Towson scored five of the next nine points and extended its advantage to 16-12. Hofstra used its second timeout at that point.
• A block and a pair of kills from Finckel allowed the Tigers to push their lead to 19-14.
• Towson closed the set on a 5-0 run capped by a kill from Grassini, which gave the Tigers a 25-18 set win and victory in the match.

 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Tigers and Pride split their regular season series for the fourth straight year. The win over Hofstra tonight avenged one of Towson's three losses from earlier this season.
• Towson hit .301 in the match, including an impressive .480 in the third set. Hofstra recorded a .242 hitting percentage in the contest.
• Finckel had a match-high 14 kills and hit .423 in her first start of the season. Her kills total matched her career-high set as a freshman last year at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
• Kuilan added nine kills while junior Peyton Moyles dished out 19 assists with five digs.
• Ertz tied for match-high honors with nine digs while adding eight kills.
• Masciullo led Hofstra with 11 kills and nine digs.

 
The Tigers are back in action when they wrap up their regular season slate by visiting Northeastern on Sunday, October 29 at 1 p.m.