EASTON, PA—The NJIT women's volleyball team won twice Friday, recording identical 3-2 victories over St. Francis Brooklyn and Rider on day one at the Lafayette Invitational in Kirby Sports Center.
NJIT defeated St. Francis Brooklyn in the opening round match, 25-17, 23-25, 26-24, 20-25 and 15-9. In the nightcap, the Highlanders went to the fifth and deciding set to defeat Rider, 25-23, 26-28, 20-25, 27-25, 15-9.
The Highlanders (4-7) will wrap up the tournament on Saturday at 9am against host Lafayette.
NJIT 3, Rider 2Twin sisters
Nina Vukotic and
Danica Vukotic, from Backi Jarak, Serbia, combined for 62 of NJIT's 78 kills in the victory.
Nina Vukotic's 32 kills becomes the new single-match five-set standard at NJIT, surpassing the old mark of 30 kills held by Kristy Haeckel vs. Maryland Eastern Shore on November 4, 2006. Vukotic's 32 kills are the most in a single match by an Atlantic Sun Conference player since 2008. The senior finished the match with a .314 hitting percentage.
Danica Vukotic set a new personal mark with 30 kills (old mark 29 kills vs. Central Connecticut State on September 21, 2013).
Freshman setter
Emily Krachenfels piled up a new NJIT Division I single match record, with a high of 66 assists in a five-set match, surpassing Danielle Thompson's 63 assists vs. Maryland Eastern Shore on November 4, 2006.
As a team, the Highlanders dug-up 117 digs, seven shy the NJIT Division I record, paced by libero
Adriana Nieto's season-best 35 digs.
Krachenfels added (21),
Nina Vukotic (20),
Marija Tosic (15) and
Danica Vukotic (13).
Three Highlanders –
Tess Albyn, Krachenfels and
Anneka Harris each recorded three block assists.
Catie Harding led Rider with 16 kills followed by 11 from Hailey Riede. The Broncs used two setters, Veronica Koval and Brandie Hill, who notched 22 and 21 assists, respectively.
Harding paced the Broncs defensively with a team-high 20 digs followed by Emma Aldaya (19), Hill (15), Koval (12), and McKenna Smith (12).
In front of the net, Kaitlyn Griffin led the match, combining for 10 total blocks (one solo, nine assists).
NJIT 3, St. Francis Brooklyn 2Outside hitter
Danica Vukotic was the only Highlander to notch double-digit kills with a team-high 16 followed by nine kills apiece from
Nina Vukotic and Tosic. Middle
Anneka Harris, a transfer from Florida State College at Jacksonville, posted a .364 hitting percentage with five kills and one error on 11 attempts.
Krachenfels registered a match-best 34 assists, plus nine digs and four block assists.
Four Highlanders notched double-figure digs totals paced by libero Nieto's and
Nina Vukotic's match-best 22 digs. Tosic posted 15 followed by 11 from
Danica Vukotic.
In the service ace category, the teams were even at 7-7. NJIT's
Tess Albyn and
Danica Vukotic recorded two aces each.
The Highlanders held a 12-to-2 team blocking advantaged paced by Albyn's eight total blocks (two solo, six assists), followed by Krachenfels (4) and Harris (4) and
Danica Vukotic (3).
St. Francis Brooklyn's Domenique Gerard led the match with a double-double, combining for 19 kills and 19 digs. Maggie Niu recorded 15 kills.
Setter Kelly O'Halloran piled up 28 assists and 12 digs. The Terriers had five players reach double-figure dig total led by Gerard's team-high 19 followed by Mireya Ramirez (15), O'Halloran (12), Saleesha Matthews (11) and Alexa Caporuscio.
NJIT jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the first set and later increased its lead to 16-5. The Highlanders, which hit .214 in the set, cruised to a 25-17 victory.
St. Francis Brooklyn took control of the second frame early, leading 7-3. NJIT rallied back on a 6-1 run to pull ahead by one, 9-8, on a Terrier attacking error. The frame saw eight ties, the final at 23-23 on a kill by NJIT's
Danica Vukotic. St. Francis Brooklyn scored the final two points of the set for a 25-23 advantage.
The third frame, which went to extra points, seesawed back and forth through the mid-teens. NJIT held a 17-14 advantage on a block solo by Harris, resulting in a Terrier timeout. St. Francis Brooklyn went on a 5-2 run, knotting the set at 19.
After a timeout by the Highlanders, the Terriers scored two straight points for a 21-19 advantage. NJIT took its second timeout of the frame to regroup. The Terriers again rallied off two straight points pulling ahead 23-19.
The Highlanders down but not out, finished the frame on a 7-1 run, taking the third frame, 26-24, on a Terrier attacking error.
St. Francis Brooklyn won the fourth set 25-20 to force a fifth and deciding set, after breaking a 12-12 tie and never looking back.
In the fifth and deciding set, NJIT hit an impressive .389 with seven kills on 18 swings with no errors. NJIT broke a 4-4 tie and went ahead 10-7 on a service ace by Tosic. The Highlanders closed out of the match on a 5-2 run to earn the victory, 15-9.
