Box Score

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ—Host Seton Hall sent NJIT to its third defeat in 12 women's volleyball matches this season, topping the Highlanders, 3-0, in opening-round play of the SHU Invitational Friday afternoon.

The Pirates, now 5-8, took control of what would become a straight-sets win with a strong first set. Seton Hall never trailed in the opening set and defeated the Highlanders, 25-18, before claiming the next two sets, 25-17 and 25-23.

NJIT sophomore standout Renata Pandolfo led the match with 12 kills, while her co-captain, senior Sabrina Baby, tied for match honors on the defensive side, with 17 digs.

Pandolfo was one of three Highlanders with a service ace, joined by junior Baaba Hughes and senior Katrina Hornstein.

NJIT, which was beaten decisively at the net, with Seton Hall holding a 10-2 team blocking advantage, was paced in individual blocks by Hornstein, who was credited with a pair of block assists.

Sarah Osmun had a double-double for the victors, leading Seton Hall's attack with 11 kills to go with 12 digs. Senior Allie Matters, who has registered double-figure digs totals in 50 straight matches, tied NJIT's Baby with 17 digs in Friday's match.

Six different Pirates had multiple-block matches, led by Krissy Wrobel's eight block assists. Olivia Trudeau had a match-best 20 assists for Seton Hall.

Seton Hall went ahead 7-2 in set one and took its largest lead of the frame after a Wrobel spike extended the cushion to, 19-10.

NJIT improved in the second, but with the score tied 10-10, the Hall began to break away. An Osmun service ace propelled the Pirates to a 15-12 advantage, and a late 6-1 spurt was enough to give Seton Hall a 25-17 set triumph.

In the third, SHU build a 12-7 lead, but the Highlanders used a 7-2 spurt to tie the score, 14-14. However, Seton Hall answered with four-straight points to seemingly regain control. NJIT continued to fight back and finally took a 23-22 lead after Fernanda Lima and Hornstein teamed up for a block. After a Pirate timeout, a crucial kill by Meghan Matusiak knotted things up and two NJIT miscues sealed the Pirate sweep.

The challenge on Saturday is just as big, if not bigger for NJIT, when it meets Yale at 1 pm and Hofstra at 4:30 pm on the final day of the tournament in neighboring South Orange. Yale, which advanced to the second round of the 2008 NCAA Division I Tournament, is 5-1 this season after sweeping Hofstra in Friday's other match.

Hofstra, an Eastern power in women's volleyball going all the way back to the 1970s, is off to a slow start against a difficult 2009 schedule. But the Pride is seeking a return to the form it showed in making the NCAA Division I Tournament six times between 1995 and 2006.

(match play-by-play description courtesy of Seton Hall Athletic Communications)