STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- The Stony Brook volleyball team battled to five sets with Long Island foe Hofstra, but the Seawolves were unable to pull out the victory, falling 3-2 in their home opener Tuesday night. After winning the opening set, Stony Brook fell in the next two, but forced a fifth with a win in the fourth set. The Seawolves sit at 3-5 on the year, while Hofstra moves to 3-4.

Belzung's Reaction
"Our team fought hard tonight against a good Hofstra team," said head coach Kristin Belzung. "We didn't execute as well as we needed to. This one stings a bit, but it was great to be at home and have a strong crowd behind us in Pritchard."

Set-By-Set
- The Seawolves opened the night with a commanding lead in the first set. After close play to start, a kill from sophomore Maria Poole (Stavanger, Norway) sparked a five-point rally for Stony Brook that gave the team a 15-9 lead. The Seawolves continued to push, taking a 21-12 lead and forcing Hofstra to call its second timeout of the set. Stony Brook scored the final three points of the set to take the early lead in the match.
- Hofstra came out hot in the second set, creating some early distance and forcing Stony Brook to call a timeout. Junior McKyla Brooks (Blasdell, N.Y.) was able to halt the Pride's scoring following the break in play, but Hofstra was not phased as it eased to a second-set victory and evened the match.
- Stony Brook set the tone early in the third set, but momentum shifted after a service error by the Seawolves evened things at six-all and Hofstra put the next five points on the board. Stony Brook did not back down, getting back within one on multiple occasions. A kill from redshirt junior Emily Costello (Webset, N.Y.) made it 24-23, Hofstra and the Pride called a timeout before closing out the third set. 
- The Seawolves carried their late-set moment into the fourth set, and strung together five straight points before Hofstra was able to get on the board. Hofstra responded once its offense got going and eventually took the lead at 12-11.Stony Brook rallied for five straight points to regain control and scored the final five points of the set to even the match and force a fifth set. 
- The fifth set saw seven ties early on, with the Seawolves often taking the advantage. Hofstra scored four straight points midway through, which forced Stony Brook to use both of its timeouts, but the Pride were able to hang on for the win.

Up Next
   The Seawolves return to tournament play this weekend as they head to Bryant for three matches. Play will begin Friday with a 6 p.m. match against Brown, and continue Saturday with a match against the host team at 12 p.m. before wrapping up with a 3 p.m. match against Manhattan.