Box Score
HOUSTON – Sixth seeded host Houston Baptist edged visiting NJIT, the third seed, 3-2, in the first round of the Great West Conference women's volleyball playoffs Friday evening at Sharp Gym.
In the opening round, South Dakota nipped Texas-Pan American, 3-2, in a five-set thriller. South Dakota will face Great West Conference champion North Dakota at 5:30pm (CT).
Utah Valley swept Chicago State, 3-0, and will take on host Houston Baptist at 8pm (CT).
The Great West Conference volleyball tournament champion will be crowned following a 2 pm (CT) match on Saturday.
Houston Baptist won the fifth and deciding set, 15-11, after the teams had split the first four sets of the match. NJIT won the first frame, 25-17, before Houston Baptist came back to even the match with a 25-17 win in set two. The Huskies went back up a set with a 25-23 win in the third set and the Highlanders answered, 25-19, to force the deciding frame.
Great West Conference first-team honoree Renata Pandolfo led the offense for the Highlanders posting her 16th double-double of the season with a match-high 19 kills and 21 digs. Kristy Haeckel and Baaba Hughes followed behind posting10 kills apiece while senior setter Erica Schultz piled up 46 assists.
Senior libero and Great West Conference Defensive Player of the Year Sabrina Baby dug-up 17 digs followed by freshman Janet Snell (14) and junior Hughes (11).
As a team, the Highlanders collected seven service aces led by Pandolfo (3) and Hughes (2).
Houston Baptist was led by second-team all-conference performer Ligia Clemente with 17 kills, while Jolie Graf added 14. Natalie Magat led the Huskies with a match-high 50 assists and Courtney Whittleman posted 29 digs.
The Highlanders took both regular season meetings from the Huskies, with a (3-1) win in Houston and a (3-0) sweep in Newark.
NJIT closes the season with an overall record of 17-11. The 17 wins stand as the second-highest total since the 2008 Highlanders won 18 matches, since moving up to the Division I level in 2006.
The match against Houston Baptist marked an end to the careers of NJIT Baby, Haeckel, Schultz and Katrina Hornstein.
Baby ends her career holding numerous NJIT Division I school-records – 2,301 career digs, 795 digs posted in a season (2008), 189 career services aces and 71 service aces in a season (2008). Baby leads the nation in digs per set with 6.42dps.
Haeckel, the Highlanders 6-foot-1 middle blocker holds the NJIT Division I record for total blocks with 286.
Schultz, playing at NJIT for three seasons holds NJIT Division I school-record for career assists with 2,437.
Hornstein, has compiled 1,016 kills ranking her first all-time at NJIT since 2006 when the Highlanders started competing at the Division I level.
