Box Score Box Score

The High Point University volleyball team let a late lead over the Hofstra Pride slip away, falling 2-3 in the final game of the Thunder Invitational. After dropping the first set, HPU win the next two but Hofstra won sets four and five to take the match.

HPU led the fifth set 13-9 but after a Hofstra timeout the Pride went on a 6-0 run to win the set 15-13.
Megan Smith had 18 kills and 13 digs in the match and Audie Gonzalez added 13 kills. Freshman setter Maddie Simpson put up 43 assists and Julie Hershkowitz had a match-high 26 digs.

It was a bad set by Rachel August that broke a 20-20 tie in High Point's favor. The Panther point brought Breanna Holliday in to the game to serve and Gonzalez put down back-to-back kills to give HPU the 22-19 advantage and force a Hofstra timeout. The Pride went on a 6-1 run to end the set and beat HPU 25-23.

In the second set HPU was able to sustain its early lead, despite another late run by Hofstra. The Panthers led 21-16 but the Pride scored the next three to shorten HPU's lead to three points. Smith put down two late kills to secure the 25-20 win for High Point and tie the match 1-1.

High Point mounted its own late come back in the third set to go up 2-1 in the match. The Panthers trailed 16-21, but went on a run to tie the set at 22-22. Simpson's service ace gave HPU a 23-22 advantage. The Pride evened the score at 23-23 before Smith's 12th kill of the match gave the Panthers set point. Courtney Johnk put up a solo block on Shelby Young's attack to win the match for High Point 25-23.

Hofstra shut down HPU's offense in the fourth set, rolling to a 25-15 win and forcing a fifth set. The Pride outhit the Panthers .344 to .032 and High Point had just eight kills with seven errors in the loss.

After committing a blocking error that put the Pride on top 5-4, Smith put down three kills in four plays to make it a 7-6 HPU lead. High Point extended its lead to 13-9 but the Pride went on a 6-0 lead to win the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.

High Point will travel to Arizona State next weekend to face the Sun Devils as well as UC Riverside and Utah Valley State.