WEST POINT, NY—Army defeated visiting NJIT, 3-0, Wednesday evening in women's volleyball action at Gills Field House.
Army, which improves to 9-12 on the season, took the Highlanders in straight sets – 25-10, 25-23 and 25-15. NJIT falls to 6-16 on the season.
The Black Knights were paced by junior outside hitter Nicole Perri's match-best 10 kills. She added seven digs in the victory. Freshman outside hitter Amber Clay followed with 8 kills and classmate Rachel Gearon added 7 kills.
Army setter Vanessa Edwards piled up a match-high 29 assists to go along with 5 digs, 3 block assists, and 3 service aces. Senior libero Deanna Dalton led the Black Knight defense with a match-best 15 digs. Edwards and Carolyn Bockrath led Army in front of the net holding a 7-to-1 team blocking advantage as each player posted 3 block assists.
For the Highlanders, senior outside hitter
Fran Edmondson just missed recording double-digit kill totals with a team-high 9 while adding 5 digs on defense. Freshman setter
Alyssa Armada recorded 24 assists and 6 digs as senior libero
Katie Goswick dug-up a team-best 9 digs.
In the second set, the closet of the frames for the Highlanders, Army jumped out to an early 3-1 advantage. NJIT rallied back to take its first lead of the set, 4-3 lead, on a kill by Edmodson, before Army scored four straight points for a 7-4 advantage.
Down 13-8, the Highlanders rallied back scoring four consecutive points pulling within one of the Black Knights, 13-12. Army would extend its lead to 17-14, on a kill by Clay but the Highlanders fought back going on a 4-1 run knotting the set at 18, after a kill by
Nina Vukotic resulting in a timeout for the home team.
After a kill by Clay out of the timeout, the Highlanders scored the next two points taking a 20-19 lead. The set saw three more ties, the final at 23 after a kill by
Danica Vukotic but the Black Knights sealed the deal scoring the final two points of the set for a 25-23 victory.
NJIT, who will play its next three matches at home, will host Lehigh on Saturday at 4pm in the Fleisher Athletic Center.
