Box score

HEMPSTEAD, NY—Fairfield used a dominant hitting game to defeat NJIT, 3-1, in second-day women's volleyball action at the Hofstra Invitational Saturday afternoon.

 

Fairfield had a team hitting percentage of .357, nearly double the .188 for NJIT in the match that was close for three sets before the Stags clinched the win with a one-sided fourth set. The scores for Fairfield were: 25-20, 25-23, 21-25, and 25-8.

 

Four players posted double-figure kills totals for the winners, paced by 20 from Brianna Dixion, who finished with the 20 kills and seven errors in 37 swings (.351). Others in double-figures were: Camille Coffey (14), Caitlin Stapleton (12), and Lindsay Weaver (10). Stapleton had just two errors in 19 attempts to finish with a .435 hitting percentage. Setter Rachel Romansky notched 54 assists.

 

On defense, the Stags had four players with double-figure digs totals, led by 17 for Coffey who had her team's only double-double. Kendal Dirkin had six block assists, as the team blocking was even at eight apiece. Weaver served three of Fairfield's six aces.

 

Fernanda Lima led NJIT (1-3) in both kills (14) and blocks (six block assists). The junior middle finished with the 14 kills, 4 errors and 33 attempts (.303 attack pct.). Janet Snell had 10 kills and 2 errors, but 37 tries left her with a .216 hitting percentage. Julia Colombo had eight kills and just one error, as well.

 

As a team, the Highlanders had a decent ratio of kills-to-errors (39-to-14), but too many zero attacks (80), meaning they kept the ball in play, but couldn't finish well enough. By contrast, Fairfield had 70 kills and 54 zero attacks.

 

Anna Mercado paced NJIT with 33 assists, while Colombo led the team with three aces. The Highlanders beat Fairfield in that category, 9-6. Freshman Camilla Tinari, who had her first quiet match in the attack, shared the blocking lead with Lima, at six block assists.

 

On the floor, Catherine Leung led the Highlanders in digs (12), followed by 11 from Audrey Snell.

 

Fairfield, which won six straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season championships from 2004 to 2009 before falling from its perch last season, came into Saturday's match with NJIT sporting a deceptive 0-5 record. The Stags opened the 2011 season with three losses in a tournament at the University of California and then lost to Princeton and then the hosts to begin the Hofstra Invitational.

 

Fairfield took the first set, 25-20. The Stags gradually built a 17-12 advantage before the Highlanders won seven of the next eight points to claim a 19-18 lead. Fairfield then took control with five straight points.

 

The second set saw Fairfield build an early 13-7 advantage and still lead, 17-15, before the Highlanders produced a 5-2 spurt that resulted in a 20-19. The Stags fought back again, but the score was tied as late as 22-22, before Fairfield finished the set, 3-1.

 

Trailing 9-10, NJIT ran off five straight points and unlike the first two sets where Fairfield rallied, the Highlanders held off all the challenges and led the rest of the way. Fairfield closed to within two points six different times and to within a single point twice, but NJIT had the answer to each threat in its 25-21 win.

 

Fairfield opened the clinching set 5-1 and never let the Highlanders closer than four points after that. The Stags closed the set and match with nine straight points, the last eight with Coffey serving.

 

The Highlanders, who have played their first four matches away from home, will open the home portion of the season on Tuesday at 7 pm, when they host Lehigh in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.