INDIANAPOLIS—Senior captain Sabrina Baby and the NJIT women's volleyball team captured the NCAA Division I statistical championships for individual digs per set and team digs per set, respectively, for 2009, according to statistics posted on the official NCAA web site.

Baby and the Highlanders were atop their categories all season and their statistical championships became assured with the completion of the national championship match, won by Penn State on December 19.

Baby, who plays libero and earlier became the first Academic All-America for NJIT in the Division I era in any sport when she was selected as a 3rd-team national honoree, led the nation with 6.27 digs per set (608 digs in 97 sets).

The 0.25 digs per set difference between Baby's nation-leading average and that of second-place Kim Maroon of Villanova (6.02 digs per set) was greater than that between any other two consecutive spots in the individual top 50.

As a team, NJIT, which finished with a 17-11 won-lost record, led the nation with 19.81 digs per set (1922 digs, 97 sets). Southeast Missouri State finished second with 19.29 digs per set.

The 2009 season marked the first time that NJIT, or its individual student-athletes, were eligible for ranking in the national Division I statistics. The Highlanders became active championship-eligible members of Division I effective September 1, 2009.

Digs are a defensive statistic credited when the opposing team attacks a ball over the net, the attack is not blocked and is inside the court boundaries, but does not result in a point due to it being kept in play by a specific defensive player, who is awarded an individual dig.