Oct. 4, 2006

Box Score

EASTON, PA - The New Jersey Institute of Technology women's volleyball team has shown remarkable growth in its first season playing NCAA Division I competition. Despite that growth and a determined effort, the Highlanders fell short on the road against favored Lafayette, 3-1, Wednesday night.

Lafayette, 10-5 and a winner in 10 of its last 11, jumped to an early lead against NJIT, topping the Highlanders, 30-21, in the first game. The Highlanders pulled even with a 30-27 win in game two, before Lafayette took a tight game three, 30-25, and then sealed the match with a 30-18 victory in game four.

NJIT had a diverse attack, with three players registering double-figure kills totals, led by freshman Kasha Hornstein's 13, while Kubra Tanrikulu and Agnieszka Pregowska had 10 kills apiece. Danielle Thompson had a match-best 44 assists for the Highlanders.

On defense, four Highlanders reached double figures in digs, led by Sabrina Baby's match-high total of 21. She was followed by Thompson, with 19, Hornstein (15) and Pregowska (12). Highlander freshman Kristy Haeckel led all players with 5 blocks.

The victorious Leopards got a match-high and personal season-best 23 kills from its senior star, Veronica Canto-Ponce, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week. Canto-Ponce also had 12 digs. Kari Horn had 19 digs, while Michaela Donohue checked in with 14 digs and 12 kills.

NJIT's next competition will be a tri-match on Saturday, hosted by Fairleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, NJ. NJIT will face host FDU at 11 am, followed by a 1 pm match vs. Wagner.