Box Score

 
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NY—NJIT's Danica Vukotic notched a match-high 16 kills and added 9 digs, but it wasn't enough as host St. Francis Brooklyn swept the Highlanders, 3-0, on the opening day of the 2014 Terrier Invitational at the Genovesi Center.
 
The Terriers, 2-5 on the season, split Friday's matches, dropping a 3-0 decision to Hofstra, but bounced back in the nightcap to sweep visiting NJIT, 27-25, 25-21, and 25-19..
 
St. Franics Brooklyn hit .305 for the match, led by Niehely Sosa and Domenique Gerard, who each notched 9 kill,s followed by Maggie Niu's 8.  Sosa, a sophomore middle hitter, finished the match with a .643 hitting percentage with 9 kills and no errors on 14 swings.
 
Kelly O'Halloran and Alexa Caporuscio split time at the setting position for the Terriers, piling up 20 and 13 assists, respectively.  Senior Ali Long recorded a match-high 21 digs, while Sosa posted a match-high five total blocks (5 assists).
 
Danica Vukotic wasthe only Highlander to reach double-digit kill totals Friday with 16, followed by senior outside hitter Fran Edmondson with 8 kills.
 
Freshman setter Alyssa Armada recorded her sixth straight double-figure assist total, with a match-high 34 assists.  Senior libero Camilla Tinari posted a team-high 15 digs, followed by Danica Vukotic (9), Nina Vukotic and Edmondson (7) and Armada (6).
 
In the first frame, the visitors jumped out to a 10-8 lead after back-to-back kills by Danica Vukotic.  The score remained close all the way up until the final tie of the set, 25-25 on an attacking error by NJIT.  After a timeout by the Highlanders, St. Francis Brooklyn scored the final two points to clinch the set, 27-25.

In the second set, St. Francis Brooklyn hit.355 with 12 kills and 1 error on 31 attempts.  NJIT would open the set on a 7-3 run and later pushed the lead to 17-11.  The Terriers rallied back into the set, finishing the frame on a 12-1 spurt.  The Highlanders held a 7-point lead, 20-13, up until the Terriers scored five straight points, pulling within two of the visitors, 18-20.  After a kill by NJIT's Danica Vukotic, the Terriers ran off seven straight points to earn the come-back-victory in the second frame, 25-21.
 
The Terriers carried the momentum into the final frame, opening the set on a 7-3 run and later increasing the to 14-5.  NJIT fought back, pulling within five of the Terriers on several occasions, the last at 18-23 on a St. Francis Brooklyn attacking error.  The Terriers finished off the match on a 2-1 run to earn the 25-19 win and clinch the 3-0 sweep in sets.
 
The Highlanders will return to action Saturday at 9am against Manhattan and wrap up the Invitational at 1pm against Hofstra.