Box Score
 
PHILADELPHIA—Manhattan senior outside hitter Malia McGuinness recorded a match-high 13 kills and added 8 digs as the Jaspers blanked NJIT, 3-0, on the second day of the 2014 La Salle Invitational at Tom Gola Arena.
 
Manhattan opened the Invitational Friday sweeping host La Salle, 3-0, and won in straight sets Saturday morning to top NJIT, 25-15, 25-21 and 25-22 and improve to 2-0 on the young season. 
 
NJIT, which went 1-1 Friday, dropping a 3-0 decision to Coppin State, but bouning back in the nightcap to record the first win of the 2014 season with a 3-1 victory over host La Salle. The Saturday loss to Manhattan puts the Highlanders at 1-2 on the season and they will wrap up the Invitational at 2 pm against Loyola (MD).
 
Following McGuinness's match-high 13 kills were Claire Van Dyk and Sydney Volovski, who combined for seven kills apiece.  Teodora Peric and Jade Gray split time at setter for the Jaspers, recording 21 and 12 assists, respectively.  Sophomore libero Allie Yamashiro led the Manhattan defense with a match-high 25 digs.
 
The Jaspers held a 6-to-3 team blocking advantage over the Highlanders topped by Anna Kitlar's three block assists and a 5-to-2 edge in service aces paced by Van Dyke and Yamashiro who each had two.
 
NJIT was paced by senior outside hitter Fran Edmondson with 8 kills, followed by Nina Vukotic (6), Tess Albyn (6) and Danica Vukotic (5).  Albyn, a 6-foot hitter from Colorado, hit .545 for the match on 11 swings with no errors. 
 
Freshman setter Alyssa Armada recorded her third-straight match with double-digit assists (21) and posted her second double-double of the season combining for (11) digs.
 
Senior Camilla Tinari, who played in five matches in 2013 before a knee injury that required surgery ended her junior season, put together a strong performance defensively for the Highlanders, leading the team with 14 digs.  Edmondson added 12, while Danica Vukotic and Armada each notched 11.
 
In the first set, the score remained close with neither team leading by more than three, until the Jaspers went on a quick 4-1 run, pushing a 13-10 lead to a 17-11 advantage.  Manhattan finished the set cruising to a 25-15 victory.
 
NJIT jumped out to an early in the second set, 9-3, before the Jaspers rallied back to knot the score at 12.  The set seesawed back-and-forth until Manhattan broke an 18-18 tie with three consecutive points for a 21-18 advantage.  NJIT pulled within three of the Jaspers on two occasions, 23-20 and 24-21, but a McGuinness kill closed out the set, 25-21.
 
In the final frame, Manhattan took control early and led 14-9 after another kill for McGuinness.  The Highlanders slimmed the deficit to 15-18 on a kill by Nina Vukotic, but Manhattan increased its lead up to six, 24-18, tasting match point.  The Highlanders did not give up and rallied for the next four points, making it 24-22 after a kill by Edmondson.  Regrouping after a timeout, Van Dyk scored match point in a 25-22 victory.