Box Score

NEWARK, NJ—Freshman Danica Vukotic posted a match-high 12 kills en route to a 3-0 victory over visiting Chicago State in Great West Conference women's volleyball action Saturday afternoon at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

The Highlanders improve to 10-13 overall, 2-3 in the Great West while the Cougars fall to 2-25 overall, 0-6 in the conference.

NJIT won the match in straight sets, 27-25, 25-13 and 25-16.  The Highlanders take the season series from the Cougars, with a 3-0 victory in Chicago on October 6.

Vukotic, a freshman outside hitter from Backi Jarak, Serbia, led the match with 12 kills on 29 swings and four errors for a .276 hitting percentage.  She added eight digs defensively for the home team.

Senior outside hitter Janet Snell followed Vukotic with nine kills and eight digs.  Freshman Fran Edmondson had four kills on nine attempts with one error for a .333 hitting percentage.

Senior setter Anna Mercado piled up 13 assists in one set while counterpart Barbara Perru combined for nine assists and seven digs.

Libero Renata Pandolfo posted a team-high 15 digs followed by three different Highlanders with (8) digs – Mercado, Snell and Danica Vukotic.

Chicago State was led by Angelica Brewer's double-double (10 kills and 10 assists) while Alyssa Podwell and Paula Siotoa each posted eight kills.

Setters Siotoa and Brewer notched 19 and 10 assists respectively for the Cougars while Mysta Townsell dug-up a match-high 20 digs.  Sister Mia Townsell was the only other Cougar to post double-figure digs with 12.

The opening set was the closest of the afternoon with the Highlanders down by as many as four in the early stages, 8-4.  The set remained close in the mid-teens and saw its first tie of the frame at 22-22 on a Cougar attacking error.  The set saw three ties, the final at 25-25 when Danica Vukotic took things into her own hands posting back-to-back kills for a 27-25 victory.

The second set started off close until 14-11, in favor of the home team.  NJIT would rally off three straight points, 17-11, and then went on a 5-1 surge taking a 22-12 lead and never looking back finishing off the set with a 25-13 win.
 
In the final frame, NJIT led by 16-13 after a kill by Camilla Tinari and the Highlanders went on a 7-1 run pulling ahead 23-14.  NJIT's Vukotic closed out the match with her 12^th kill for a 25-16 victory.

The Highlanders will return to action on Thursday, November 1 at Texas-Pan American.  The match is scheduled for 6pm (CT).  In the first meeting of the season in Newark, Texas-Pan American defeated the Highlanders, 3-1.