Box Score vs. Quinnipiac
Box Score vs. Hartford
HAMDEN, CT—NJIT swept its first two matches in the Quinnipiac Bobcat Invitational Saturday, taking down the hosts and then Hartford by identical 3-0 scores Saturday.
The wins were the fourth and fifth straight for the Highlanders, extending the longest winning streak for NJIT since the program moved up to face Division I competition beginning in the 2006 season.
The previous high was three straight wins from October 26 to October 27, 2007. NJIT finished that season, its second vs. Division I competition, at 13-24. In the program's inaugural season competing with Division I teams, the Highlanders were 10-21 and won back-to-back matches once, closing the 2006 season with two wins.
Saturday's win raised NJIT's record to 8-7, the first time the Highlanders have had a winning record since beginning reclassification to Division I. NJIT is 6-1 since junior setter Erica Schultz made her 2008 debut in a 3-1 win over Seton Hall on September 17.
After a tough 26-24 first-set win against host Quinnipiac, the Highlanders rolled to a 25-10 win in the second set and a 25-17 third-set win to close out the match.
The win against Hartford was tighter, as the Highlanders prevailed, 27-25, 25-21 and 25-23.
Most of NJIT's top hitters were effective in the win against Quinnipiac. Kristy Haeckel had 12 kills, with just two errors in 21 attempts for .476 hitting percentage, while Renata Pandolfo had nine kills and two errors in 20 attempts, Katrina Hornstein notched eight kills and two errors in 20 attacks, and Agnieszka Pregowska had six kills and two errors in 16 swings.
Schultz collected 30 assists and the NJIT floor defense was paced by Sabrina Baby (19 digs) and Pandolfo (18).
Pandolfo (five service aces) and Pregowska (four) led NJIT to a 10-3 advantage in aces. Crista Valentino, with 14 digs, was the top performer for Quinnipiac.
In the second match of the day for the Highlanders, Pandolfo keyed the attack, producing a .417 hitting percentage on 11 kills and one error in 24 attempts. Pregowska was 6-2-14 and Baaba Hughes got nine kills and two errors in 30 attempts.
Schultz again posted 30 assists.
The serving game was even at four aces apiece, with four different Highlanders getting aces.
Baby had a match-best 14 digs and the Highlanders had a 6-3 advantage in team blocks, led by Haeckel's four (one solo, three assists).
For Hartford's Hawks, Erin Macro got a match-best 12 kills and Lindsay Ford's 34 assists were match-high. Sarah Boss had 13 digs for the Hawks.
NJIT is scheduled to close the tournament with an 11:30 am match on Sunday, when the Highlanders take on Coppin State.
