Box Score
NEWARK, NJ—NJIT swept Wagner, 3-0, in women’s volleyball Tuesday night, but it wasn’t easy, as the Highlanders edged the Seahawks, 25-23, 25-21 and 27-25.
Baaba Hughes led the NJIT attack with 10 kills, Danielle Thompson had 25 assists and three players—Agnieszka Pregowska, Hughes and Renata Pandolfo--had two service aces apiece.
The most important of NJIT’s aces came from junior Sabrina Baby who served match-point in the Highlanders’ 27-25 third-set win.
On defense, Pandolfo, a freshman, led NJIT with 18 digs, followed by Katrina Hornstein’s 14 and Thompson’s 10.
At the net, Pregowska notched five total blocks (2 solo, 3 assists) and Kristy Haeckel had four blocks (2 solo, 2 assists).
Wagner got a match-best 12 kills from Alex Klein and Laura Bellotti had 24 assists. Sam O’Brien served a match-best three aces as the Seahawks had an 11-9 advantage in that category. Rebecca Prado led Wagner with 18 digs, while Jess Troiano and O’Brien each had four block assists. Wagner, with eight total team blocks, did not have any block solos.
The first set was full of spurts, as NJIT built a 15-10 lead, only to see Wagner run off five straight points and knot the score. The Highlanders went back up, 19-15, but the visitors came back for a 22-21 lead and then a 23-22 lead, before NJIT scored the last three points of the set, capped by Hornstein’s kill on set point.
NJIT opened an 11-6 lead in the second set, but Wagner came back to tie, at 12-12. There were three more ties before the Highlanders surged ahead for good, 20-19, on another kill by Hornstein. NJIT enjoyed a 5-2 advantage the rest of the way and got set point on Hornstein’s kill at 25-21.
The third set was Wagner’s best, as the Seahawks went ahead at 7-6 and eventually stretched their advantage to 16-11, before NJIT came back to take an 18-17 lead. The teams continued to go back and forth and Wagner was looking at set point at 24-23 on an ace by O’Brien.
After an NJIT timeout, the Highlanders picked up two points, but couldn’t immediately close the deal, owing to an attack error. Tied at 25-25, NJIT put the match away, as Pandolfo’s kill made it 26-25 and then Baby served the ace for match point.
The Highlanders have won their last two after starting the season 0-3 at the Sun Bowl Volleyball Invitational in El Paso, TX. Wagner, which had won its last match, drops to 1-3 with the loss to NJIT.
Next up for NJIT is the Highlanders Challenge, a tournament that brings Loyola (MD), Sacred Heart and UMBC to the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center for a two-day tournament on Friday and Saturday.
The first tournament match for the Highlanders is Friday at 7 pm, when they take on UMBC.