HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Host Hofstra rallied from a 2-1 deficit and edged Radford, 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 18-25, 25-19, 15-13) in the season opener for both teams at the Asics Invitational on Friday evening. Senior Megan McWhorter (Newport News, Va./Peninsula Catholic) and sophomore Emily Carlin (Downington, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) paced the Highlanders (0-1) with 14 and 12 kills, respectively.

Box Score

In the deciding game, Radford was able to overcome a two-point deficit to tie the game at 10-apiece. The teams would trade the next four points before kills by Nikki Kinnier and Catalina Charry made it 14-12 and after an error made it 14-13, Erika Charry closed out the match with her 12th kill.

Catalina Charry finished with a match-high 56 assists, while Erika Charry and Kinnier (19) were two of four Pride players to reach double figure kills.

Freshman Christine Beckham (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) and senior Leigh Myers (Baton Rouge, La./Dunham School) combined on 41 assists led by the Beckham's 25.

Keyed by a combined seven kills from Carlin and McWhorter and a 13-4 run, Radford rallied for a 25-22 game-one victory. Hofstra used a 6-1 run to break open a one-point affair and grab the largest lead of the game (15-9). The Highlanders regrouped behind two kills from Carlin and surged back, scoring seven of the next eight points to get within 17-16.

Radford closed out the big run with three straight points and took the lead for good when senior Carly Fleming (Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park) and Beckham combined on a block to give them its first lead since 3-2. A pair of kills by Carlin closed out the first game.

Fleming (one solo), Beckham (two solo) and junior Rachel Fertitta (Roanoke, Va./Emory & Henry) each finished with a team-high three of Radford's match-best 15 blocks.

The Highlanders could not recover from an early 5-1 hole and after a late rally fell short, they dropped game two, 25-20. Trailing 19-13, kills from McWhorter and Carlin, along with a block by Fleming brought Radford within 21-20, but the Pride closed out with four straight points to even the match at 1-1.

A 7-2 spurt broke an 8-8 deadlock and a .333 hitting percentage powered Radford to a 25-18 win in game three. Three kills and three blocks, including back-to-back combined rejections by McWhorter and Fertitta at the conclusion of the surge, keyed the game-changing run. The Pride pushed within four points (22-18), but the Highlanders closed out with three straight to grab a 2-1 advantage.

Hofstra grabbed raced ahead 10-5 and Radford could not get closer than three points as the Pride sent it to a fifth and deciding game with a 25-19 win.

For the match, Radford hit .135 with 48 kills. Along with 26 blocks, the Highlanders registered 39 digs led by freshman Rachel Brummitt's (Plano, Texas/Plano West) 17 in her first collegiate match.

Radford concludes the weather-shortened tournament tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. against Manhattan. Due to the threat of Hurricane Irene, Norfolk State dropped out for safety reasons.