RAMS SUCCUMB TO HOFSTRA IN FOUR GAMES
9-16-06
Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth University received 18 kills from senior outside hitter Ludmila Francescatto (Fraiburga, Brazil/Arizona Western College) and 10 kills and five blocks from senior middle blocker Melissa Peterson (Ganado, Ariz./Arizona Western College) (pictured), but it wasn’t enough to slow Hofstra, which defeated the Rams, 3-1 (30-20, 25-30, 30-26, 32-30) Saturday at the Alltel Pavilion.

VCU has lost two straight to slip to 6-5 overall and 2-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Hofstra is 7-5 and 3-0.

The Pride got a career day out of Beverly Rivera, as she sparked the attack with a personal-best 22 kills, as well as 11 digs, four aces and three blocks. Setter Shellane Ogoshi handed out 52 assists and logged 14 digs for HU.

Sophomore outside hitter Ana Luiza Bernardes de Borja (Florianopolis, Brazil/Colegio Geracao) ripped 16 kills and was in on three blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Elisa Kuehnel (Dresden, Germany/Sportsgymnasium) spiked eight kills on 17 swings and tacked on three blocks for VCU.

Hofstra won the battle at the net, out blocking the Rams, 14 to 10.5, while also hitting .288 for the match.

Despite losing Game One, VCU threatened to send the match to a fifth game, staging a furious rally.

Down 27-21 in the fourth stanza, the Rams got a pair of kills from de Borja and saw the Pride falter briefly to pull even at 29-29. The two teams traded kills by HU’s Elizabeth Curley and the Black and Gold’s Francescatto to make it 30-30. But Lauren Engle smacked a kill off Ogoshi’s 52nd assist and VCU followed with an attack error to end the threat.

The Rams hit the road for their next match, a 7 p.m. clash with CAA-foe George Mason on Friday, Sept. 22 in Fairfax, Va.