Box Score
NEWARK, NJ – Chicago State was led by Mazvita Maziveyi and Alexandra Mason with 18 kills apiece as the NJIT women's volleyball team fell short of victory, dropping Saturday's Great West Conference women's volleyball match, 3-2, at the Fleisher Athletic Center.
Saturday's match was the regular season finale for both teams and last home match for NJIT. Both teams will compete in the Great West Conference Postseason Tournament hosted by North Dakota on November 17 to 19. The Highlanders will be the No. 4 seed in the tournament and Chicago State No. 5.
Before the start of the match, NJIT recognized two graduating seniors Audrey Snell and Juliana Araujo.
Chicago State won the first set comfortably, 25-16 and added a 26-24 victory in the third frame. NJIT was victorious in the second set with a tight 25-23 win and won 25-18 in the fourth, before the Cougars took the fifth frame, 15-10 for the match.
In the last meeting between the two teams in Chicago on October 15, NJIT won the deciding set, 15-11, and came away with a 3-2 victory over the Cougars.
Junior right side hitter Janet Snell paced the Highlanders with a double-double – 29 kills and 12 digs. Her 29 kills were a match-high and career-high.
Classmate Renata Pandolfo and sophomore Cathy Leung followed with double-doubles of their own. Pandolfo registered 12 kills and 14 digs while Leung notched 11 kills and 10 digs for the Highlanders.
Sophomore middle Julia Colombo added seven kills and three block assists for NJIT.
Setter Anna Mercado matched her career-best piling up 54 assists. The junior recorded 54 assists earlier in the season against Dartmouth on September 11. Mercado also added eight digs defensively.
Senior libero Audrey Snell led the Highlanders with a match-best and career-best 37 digs Saturday. Snell dug-up 36 digs at Texas-Pan American on November 3 in a five-set tilt. Following behind the senior was Pandolfo (14), Janet Snell (12) and Leung (10).
Sophomore middle blocker Gretchen VonKoenig led the Highlanders in front of the net with five total blocks (2 solo, 3 assists). Three different Highlanders combined for two block assists.
Following Chicago State's Maziveyi and Mason's team-high 18 kills was junior outside hitter Rachel Levitt with 11 kills.
Setter Emily Kramolisch piled up a match-best 56 assists and added 12 digs defensively for the Cougars.
Chicago State had four players reach double-digits in the digs category led by Mysta Townsell's 30 digs. Following Townsell was sister Mia Townsell (18), Mason (18) and Kramolisch (12).
Mason combined for a match-high seven total blocks (2 solo, 5 assists) followed by Angelica Brewer who produced four block assists for the visitors.
The Cougars took a 6-1 service ace advantage paced by Brewer and Mason with two. The only service on the day for the Highlanders came from Colombo.
The second set seesawed back and forth for most of the match which saw 17 ties, the last at 23 on a kill by NJIT's Janet Snell. NJIT scored the next two points for the match, 25-23, on attack errors by Chicago State. Janet led the frame with 13 kills.
The Highlanders jumped out to a comfortable lead in the fourth frame, 16-9, on a kill by VonKoenig. After a timeout by Chicago State, the Highlanders extended its lead to 11, 21-10, on a Cougar attacking error. Chicago State rallied for an 8-1 spurt closing the set to within four, 22-18, on a kill by Mazvita, but the Highlanders would score the final three points – two on kills coming from Leung and Pandolfo and a Cougar attack error.
In the final frame, the match remained close, 10-9 in favor of the visitors, after a kill by NJIT's Janet Snell. After a Chicago State timeout, the Cougars finished on a 5-1 run securing a 15-10 victory.
