Box Score

HACKENSACK, NJ—NJIT's Nina Vukotic and Fran Edmondson combined for 40 kills and 30 digs, leading visiting NJIT to a 3-1 road victory over Fairleigh Dickinson Wednesday night at Stratis Arena.

The Highlanders (4-8) snaped a six-match skid in defeating Fairleigh Dickinson 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, and 28-26, while the Knights fall to 2-10 on the season.

Sophomore middle Nina Vukotic led the Highlanders with a match-high 22 kills while adding 13 digs, a new career mark for the junior in both categories. Senior outside hitter Fran Edmondson contributed 18 kills and 17 digs in the win.

Freshmen setter Alyssa Armada notched a double-double of her own with a career-high 50 assists and 11 digs, while senior libero Camilla Tinari paced the Highlanders defensively with a team-high 24 digs, followed by Edmondson (17), Nina Vukotic (13), Armada (11) and Katie Goswick (10). 

In front of the net, NJIT held a 15-to-7 team blocking advantage led by senior Valerie Carroll, who combined for 8 blocks assists and added 6 digs, while newcomer Shani Leacock recorded 6 block assists.   The Highlanders had four different players' notch 2 services aces apiece – Armada, Carroll, Tinari and Goswick to lead that category 8-2.

Fairleigh Dickinson had three players reach double-figure kills led by Alex Lolland's team-high 21.  Carly O'Sullivan recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 17 digs, while Caroline Laton notched 11 kills.  The Knights setter Allison Butler piled up a match-high 53 assists, a new career high, to go along with 15 digs.  Libero Deborah Hong led the match with 33 digs.

In the first frame, the score remained tight throughout with neither team leading by more than two.  The set saw 11 ties the final at 19 on a kill by FDU's Maddie Gibbons.  NJIT answered back with a quick 3-0 run pulling ahead of the Knights, 22-19.  Fairleigh Dickinson cut the lead down to one, 23-22, on a kill by Laton but freshmen Tess Albyn put the set away with a kill for a 25-22 victory.

The second frame seesawed back-and-forth early, with the Highlanders taking an 11-8 lead, on a service ace by Armada.  Fairleigh Dickinson would go on a 7-1 to go up 15-12 and force an NJIT timeout.  The Highlanders rallied back, slimming the Knight lead to one, 22-21, on an FDU attacking error.  The Knights scored the final three points of the set for a 25-21 victory.

In the third set, the Highlanders jumped out to a 9-7 lead and later pulled ahead, 18-13, powered by a 6-1 run.  The Knights answered, pulling within three, 20-17, but, after an NJIT timeout, Edmondson responded with back-to-back kills for a 22-17 advantage and Nina Vukotic would seal the frame with a kill for a 25-20 victory.

In the final frame of the match, NJIT opened up the set on an 8-4 run, but later found itself down by three, 12-15.  The set saw 10 additional ties, the final at 26-26 after a kill by FDU's Lolland.  NJIT secured the win on a kill by Nina Vukotic and FDU attacking error for a 28-26 score.

NJIT will return to action this weekend when the Highlanders compete at the CCSU Blue Devil Invitational.  NJIT will open the tournament on Friday at 7pm against Providence and face two teams on Saturday – Hartford at 1:30pm and host CCSU at 6:30pm.