Box Score


NEWARK, NJ—Texas-Pan American won its fifth straight match defeating NJIT, 3-1, Saturday in Great West Conference women's volleyball action at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Texas-Pan American improves to 8-10 overall and 1-0 in the Great West while the Highlanders fall to 6-11 overall, 0-2 in the conference.

The Broncs, which dropped the first set, 25-17, bounced back in the next three frames by scores of 25-18, 25-16, 27-25.

Sophomore outside hitter Diara Reynolds led the Broncs with 13 kills followed by 12 from senior middle Sarah Davis and 10 from sophomore Michelle McNamee.
Setter Nycole Masaki piled up 35 assists while two Broncs reached double-digit digs – libero Juri Franzen with 20 and Krysta Freitas with 16. 

Sophomore middle blocker Maria Kliefoth posted a match-high six total blocks (one solo, five assists) while Freitas added four block assists.  Franzen also added a match-high three service aces.

NJIT was led by sophomore Julia Colombo and freshman Danica Vukotic, each posting 13 kills. Colombo hit .500 for the match on 13 kills, two errors on 22 swings while Danica Vukotic registered her first career double-double with 13 kills and 17 digs.

Senior setter Anna Mercado posted a match-high 42 assists, seven digs, four kills and three service aces for the Highlanders.  Leading the Highlander defense was senior libero Renata Pandolfo with a match-high 22 digs followed by Vukotic's 17 digs.  Janet Snell combined for 10 digs.  Valerie Carroll led the Highlanders in front of the net with a team-high five total blocks (one solo, four assists).

The first set remained close in the early stages until 7-7 when the Highlanders rallied off four straight points taking a 11-7 advantage on a kill by Vukotic.  After a kill by Texas-Pan American's Haley Durham, the Highlanders scored the next nine consecutive points stretching the lead to 19-9.  NJIT then cruised to a 25-17 victory.

In the second frame, another close set early on, the home team found themselves down three, 16-13, resulting in an NJIT timeout.  Out of the time out, the visitors went on a 6-1 run for a 22-14 lead, the biggest of the match.  The Broncs scored the final two points of the set for a 25-18 win.

The third set, the most impressive set for the Broncs who hit .464 with 13 kills, 0 errors on 28 swings were led by Freitas and Davis with five kills apiece.  NJIT's Colombo combined for five kills as well in the third frame. 

The Broncs jumped out to a 14-6 advantage and would widen the gap to nine, 22-14, on an attack error by the Highlanders.  NJIT scored the next two points, but the Broncs finished off the set on a quick 2-1 run for a 25-16 victory.

The fourth and final set was well-played on both sides.  The Highlanders built an early 6-1 lead – two of the points coming on kills by Vukotic.  Texas-Pan American slimmed the Highlander lead to one, 12-11, after an attack error.  The set went back and forth until 16-14, in favor of the Broncs.  NJIT answered with five straight points for a 19-16 lead, resulting in a timeout for the visitors.  The set was tied four more times, the final at 25 on a kill by NJIT's Vukotic.  Texas-Pan American scored the final two points on a kill from Kliefoth and blocks from Freitas and Kliefoth earning a 27-25 victory.

NJIT will return to action on Tuesday at 7pm when the Highlanders host Saint Peter's at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.