Sept. 29, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Sophomore Amalia Viti was named to the NJIT all-Tournament team notching a match-high 32 kills leading Columbia past NJIT, 3-2 in the final match of the NJIT Invitational in women's volleyball action Saturday night at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

The Highlanders took the first game 30-20 as the Lions battled back in the second frame taking a 30-27 victory. NJIT won the third game 31-29 led by sophomore Katrina Hornstein who posted five digs. Viti led the Lions with six kills in the fourth frame knotting the match at two games apiece with a 30-27 victory and bringing the match down to the fifth and deciding set. Columbia claimed the fifth set 15-9 led by Viti with eight kills.

For the match, Viti who was named to the all-tournament team posted a double-double with 32 kills, 15 digs and three total blocks.

Leading the Highlander offense was Hornstein who recorded a double-double of her own, 14 kills, 16 digs and four total blocks. Trailing behind was sophomore Kristy Haeckel who posted 11 kills and junior Kubra Tanrikulu with 10. Sophomore transfer Erica Schultz added eight while Agnieszka Pregowska finished the match with seven. Middle blocker Rebecca Wilkinson recorded 6 kills on 14 attempts with one error for a .357 hitting percentage.

Junior Danielle Thompson piled up 27 assists while Schultz added 22. Hornstein and Wilkison each added two.

On the defensive end for the Highlanders, libero Sabrina Baby who was also named to the all-tournament team posted a team-high 24 digs leading two Highlanders in double-figures in the digs category. Tanrikulu recorded 19 as Hornstein dug-up 16.

The Highlanders recorded 14 total blocks as a team which was led by Wilkinson and Hornstein with four. Pregowska and Haeckel added three of their own.

Helping on the offensive side for the Lions was Natalie Gerling with 19 kills and Cassie Ligh notching 10. Alex Marchyshyn recorded a match-high 37 assists as teammate Shannon Hunzicker followed with 29.

The Lions had four players reach double figures totals in the digs category which was led by Ellie Thomas (19), Cassie Ligh (17), Viti (15) and Gerling (11). Freshman Lauren Russell recorded a game-high seven total blocks.

Utah Valley finished out the tournament (3-0), Columbia (2-1), NJIT (2-2), St. Francis (NY) (1-2) and Quinnipiac (0-3).

Named to the NJIT all-tournament team was: Sabrina Baby (NJIT), Liliana Rodriguez (St. Francis (NY), Jessica Endres (Utah Valley), Stephanie Logan (Quinnipiac) and Amalia Viti (Columbia).

The Highlanders are off until Wednesday, October 10 when they travel to Baltimore, MD to take on UMBC at 7pm.