Maryland Eastern Shore Box Score

Radford Box Score
 
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NY—The NJIT women's volleyball team opened up its 2012 season at the St. Francis (NY) Terrier Invitational Friday afternoon at the Genovesi Center.
 
The Highlanders (0-2) on the young season, fell by identical scores, 3-1, to University of Maryland-Eastern Shore and Radford.  NJIT will face host St. Francis (NY) Saturday at 4pm.
 
In the first match of the day, the Highlanders took on Maryland-Eastern Shore, the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Champion and NCAA Tournament participant.
 
The first set NJIT topped Maryland-Eastern Shore, 25-21, but the Hawks bounced back in the next three frames 25-12, 25-17, 25-23 to earn the victory.
 
Leading the way for the Highlanders was sophomore Camilla Tinari with 13 kills and nine digs while senior Janet Snell added seven kills.  Freshman Nina Vukotic, making her collegiate debut, hit .667 (4 kills, 0 errors, 6 swings). 
 
Setter Anna Mercado recorded her first double-double of the season piling up 22 assists and posting a team-high 10 digs.  Tinari and Renata Pandolfo each had nine digs followed by Snell's eight.  Valerie Carroll recorded a match-high four total blocks in front of the net (three solo, one assist).
 
Maryland-Eastern Shore got a match-high 21 kills from Saitaua Iosia, who was named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year and 11 kills from Maline Vaitai.
 
Setter Jessica Vicic put together a strong performance with a match-high 50 assists and followed with 15 digs and four block assists.
 
Four different Hawks posted double-figure dig totals led by Vaitai's match-high 16 digs.
 
The lone set won by NJIT was paced by Tinari with four kills and Snell with three.  NJIT started the first set winning five of the first six points, including a pair of kills from Tinari.
 
The Hawks rallied back to within two, 6-4, after a pair of Iosia kills and a Vicic ace. The Highlanders answered and went up 17-10, spurred by a trio of kills by Snell. The Hawks inched closer with a 4-0 run starting with two Vaitai kills, and another three kills by Iosia, which tied the set at 21. A pair of blocks and an ace gave NJIT a 4-0 run to earn the set, 25-21.
 
In the second match of the day for the Highlanders, NJIT fell to Radford by the scores of 21-25, 25-16, 25-13, 25-19 led by Snell who was the only player to reach double-figure kills with 10.
 
Freshman Danica Vukotic tallied nine followed by Tinari with eight.  Mercado posted another double-double with 20 assists and 11 digs as Pandolfo led the team with 13 digs.
 
Radford (1-0) got a double-double from Rachel Wiechecki, as she posted a match-high 16 kills and 14 digs.  Jena Braden and Christine Beckham split time at the setting position posting 18 and 11 assists respectively.  Emily Carlin dug-up a match-high 19 digs.