Box Score
 
PHILADELPHIA—La Salle nipped visiting NJIT, 3-2, Tuesday night at the Tom Gola Arena in women's volleyball non-conference action.
 
The Highlanders, which suffered its second consecutive 3-2 loss, falls to 8-13 overall while La Salle snaps a nine-match losing streak improving to 4-19 on the season.
 
NJIT won the opening frame, 25-20, while the home team took the next two sets, 25-22, 26-24, going up 2-1.  NJIT was victorious in the fourth set, taking the tight frame, 27-25, forcing a deciding set.  In the final frame, La Salle came out on top 15-11.
 
In the fifth set, the Highlanders jumped out to a 5-1 lead resulting in a home timeout.  Out of the time out, the Explorers rallied for a 9-3 spurt, pulling ahead of the visitors, 10-8.  The Highlanders scored a point on a kill by Julia Colombo, coming within one-point of La Salle, 10-9, but the home team scored the next two points, for a 12-9 score.  La Salle finished off the set on a 3-2 run to earn a 15-11 victory.
 
The Highlanders were led by freshman Danica Vukotic and sophomore Camilla Tinari, who each posted 19, kills apiece.  Tinari finished the match with a .341 hitting percentage with 19 kills on 41 swings and five errors.  Senior Janet Snell was the only Highlander to notch a double-double with 12 kills and 17 digs in the loss.
 
Anna Mercado, the Highlanders senior setter, piled up a match-high 47 assists and was one dig shy a double-double combining for nine.  Barbara Perru added 11 assists for NJIT.
 
Libero Renata Pandolfo registered a match-high 43 digs followed by Snell's 17.  Vukotic and Mercado posted nine digs.
 
La Salle had two players reach double-figure kills led by Kelly Scanlon's 18 and Samantha Tulskie's 16 kills.  Both players recorded a double-double as Scanlon added 14 digs and Tulskie posted a team-high 32 digs in the victory.
 
Explorer's setters Rachel Melich and Michelle Healy each recorded 22 assists.  Melich posted 10 digs while Healy was one-dig shy a double-double with nine digs.
 
Emily Merrick led the way in front of the net with five block assists followed by Lauren Noga's four blocked assists.
 
NJIT will return to action next Tuesday at Lafayette.  The match is schedule for 6pm.