Day One ResultsNEW YORK— NJIT women's volleyball came up empty twice on Saturday, dropping a 3-0 match vs. American and then to Northeastern, 3-1, on the final day of the Columbia Invitational at Levien Gymnasium.
Perennial power American (26-7 in 2014 and at least 21 wins every season but one since the year 2000) swept the Highlanders 25-13, 25-9 and 25-22 while Northeastern, (a 19-win team as recently as 2013) won 25-16, 23-25, 25-18 and 25-17.
The final standing at the tournament was: American (3-0), host Columbia (2-1), Northeastern (1-2) and NJIT (0-3).
NJIT senior
Nina Vukotic was selected to the seven-player all-tournament team, recording 27 kills (2.70kps), 38 digs (3.80), four assists and four total blocks.
In the American match, the Eagles received a balanced attack, recording a .278 hitting percentage with 30 kills on 72 attempts with 10 errors in the three-set victory. Senior outside hitter Kristyna Lindovska and freshman outside hitter Aleskandra Kazala paced American with five kills each. Sophomore middle blocker Erin Swartz hit .600 for the match, recording four kills on five swings with just one error in two sets.
Senior setter Monika Smidova shared match-high honors with NJIT's freshman setter
Emily Krachenfels, collecting 22 assists. Smidova and libero Hoakalei Dawson led the Eagles defensively with nine digs apiece.
In front of the net, American held a 14.0-to-5.0 team blocking advantage led by 6-foot-3 Swartz with seven total blocks (two solo, five assists) while Lindovksa followed with five block assists.
For NJIT, senior outside hitter
Danica Vukotic was the match leader with nine kills. Twin sister
Nina Vukotic added seven kills.
On the floor,
Nina Vukotic notched a team-best seven digs, followed by freshman libero
Adriana Nieto (6),
Marija Tosic (5) and Krachenfels (4). In the service ace category, both teams were even, as
Danica Vukotic and Adriana posted two aces each.
Three Highlanders—
Tess Albyn,
Danica Vukotic and
Jovana Baosic recorded two total blocks apiece.
In the second match of the day against Northeastern,
Danica Vukotic exploded for a match-best 20 kills, a new season-high, on 55 attempts for a .218 hitting percentage. Middle
Nina Vukotic added nine kills.
NJIT's Krachenfels piled up a match-high 37 assists while
Nina Vukotic led the Highlanders with a match-high and season-best 23 digs defensively and added three block assists.
Libero Nieto recorded 13 digs followed by Tosic with 11. Albyn combined for six kills, four digs, four block assists and shared match-high honors with Northeastern's sophomore Kristen Walding, notching three service aces.
Northeastern, which hit .265 for the match, was paced by sophomore outside hitter Brigitte Burcescu, who combined for a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Carmen Costa was the Huskies other player to reach double-digits in the kills' category with 10. Junior middle hitter Caterina Rosander hit an impressive .600 notching nine kills on 15 swings.
The Huskies used two setters—junior Jamie Bredahl and Walding, who recorded 28 and 18 assists respectively. Walding had three service aces to lead that department followed by Bredahl and Burcescu with two.
All 10 Huskies posted at least one dig, paced by Bredahl (17), Walding (14), Burcescu (10), Gabrielle Eyl (10) and Ashlee Asada (10). Costa's four block assists led the winners at the net.
Columbia Invitational All-Tournament TeamTournament MVP: Allison Cappellino (American)
Monika Smidova (American)
Kristyna Lindovska (American)
Katarina Jovicic (Columbia)
Cassie Wes (Columbia)
Brigette Burcescu (Northeastern)
Nina Vukotic (NJIT)
NJIT will be back in action next weekend at the Lafayette Tournament. The Highlanders will open the tournament on Friday at 2pm against Rider and St. Francis Brooklyn at 8pm. NJIT will face host Lafayette on Saturday at 9am.
This will be the second meetings of the season for the Highlanders against Rider and St. Francis Brooklyn, as the teams met on September 5 at the St. Francis Terrier Invitational. NJIT defeated both teams, 3-1.
