LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ—Rider defeated visiting NJIT, 3-0, Wednesday evening in women's volleyball action at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Broncs, who improve to 14-11 on the season, took the Highlanders in straight sets – 25-20, 25-16 and 25-23.  NJIT drops to 8-18 on the season after back-to-back home victories against Iona (3-2) on October 21 and Delaware State (3-0) on October 24.

Rider featured a balanced attack led by senior outside hitter Jaclyn Webber's 7 kills.  Following Webber, freshman right side hitter Jennifer Borio had 6 kills, sophomore Ryan Ackermann and senior Rachel Jansen 5 and middle hitters Kaitlyn Griffin and Kelsey Kowalski added 4.

Senior middle Valerie Carroll's 10 kills paced the visiting Highlanders.

Senior setter Ashlee Amatulli combined for a double-double with 13 assists and 10 digs while freshman setter Veronica Koval piled up a match-best 14 assists for the Broncs.

Webber led Rider defensively with a match-high 17 digs followed by libero Emma Aldaya with 14.  The Broncs edged visiting NJIT in the service ace category, 9-7, paced by Griffin's match-best 5 aces.  NJIT's Fran Edmondson recorded 4 of the Highlanders 7 aces (all coming in the third set).

The team blocking was even, 8-to-8, led by 5 total blocks from Rider's Jansen and Borio (1 solo, 4 assists).  NJIT was paced by Carroll and Kat Janssen with 4 apiece (all block assists).

NJIT's Carroll put together a strong performance with 10 kills on 17 swings with just one error for a .529 hitting percentage.  The senior added 4 block assists, 3 digs and one service ace.  Nina Vukotic and Edmondson posted 7 kills each for the Highlanders.

Freshman setter Alyssa Armada collected a match-best 25 assists and added 11 digs to go along with 3 block assists for the Highlanders.   Defensively, NJIT libero Camilla Tinari led the team with 13 digs followed by Nina Vukotic 12, Danica Vukotic and Armada 11 and Edmondson 10.

The Highlanders took the upper hand in the first set jumping out to a 4-1 advantage but Rider ran off 8 straight points for a 9-4 lead.  NJIT answered with 7 consecutive points pulling ahead by two, 11-9, on a kill by Edmondson.

The set remained tight through the mid-teens until Rider took a three-point advantage, 20-17.  The Highlanders scored the next two points, slimming the Broncs lead to one, 19-20, on a service ace by Carroll.  Rider used a 5-1 spurt to close out the set for a 25-20 victory.

Rider took control of the second frame 13-9 and never looked back winning comfortably 25-16 led by Ackermann and Webber combining for 9 kills.

Rider held a 10-6 lead early in the third set, but the Highlanders rallied off 8 straight points (4 points on aces by Edmondson) for a 4-point advantage, 14-10.  The set would have five more ties, the last at 19-19, before Rider took a two-point advantage 21-19, resulting in an NJIT timeout.

NJIT's Danica Vukotic responded with a kill out of the timeout and the Highlanders stayed within one of the Broncs, 21-20, 22-21, 23-22 up until match-point, 24-23, when Rider's Borio sealed the match on a kill for a 25-23 win.

The Highlanders will play their final four home contests of the season, beginning with a match on Friday at 7 pm against Hampton.