BROOKLYN, NY—NJIT won the first set of the match Saturday but dropped the next three frames to host LIU Brooklyn as the Blackbirds won 3-1 over the visiting Highlanders on the opening day of the Dazzler Hotels Blackbird Invitational hosted by LIU Brooklyn held at the Steinberg Center.

The Highlanders (4-4) won the first set 25-15 but it was the Blackbirds who bounced back in the next three frames, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-16 to earn the victory.

NJIT was paced by junior Tess Albyn, who posted a season-best 13 kills followed by Katarzyna Klocek with 10.

Middle Mikalah Hughes combined for a .357 hitting percentage with eight kills on 14 swings while senior co-captain Anneka Harris added six kills on 11 swings with just two errors for a .364 hitting percentage.  Newcomer Weronika Wiezik added six kills.

Freshmen Anna Rodrigues and Liz Benson spilt time at the setting position, notching 18 and 16 assists respectively.  Benson added seven digs.

Libero Adriana Nieto led the Highlanders defensively with 19 digs followed by Wiezik (13), Olivia Welsch (11) and Klocek (10).  NJIT's Nieto has combined for double-digit digs in six-out-of-seven matches this season.

In front of the net, Hughes led the Highlanders with five block assists while in the service ace category, it was even, 5-5, paced by Wiezik with two aces.

LIU Brooklyn (1-6) notched its first win of the season behind three players, reaching double-figure kills.  Alex Lilliquist shared match-high honors with NJIT's Albyn with 13 kills while Alex Laresen posted a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs to go along with five total blocks (two solo, three assists).

Katharina Krepper combined for a .417 hitting percentage with seven kills and 12 attempts.  Kreppper and Filippa Hansson were the match leaders with six total blocks while Larsen added five.

Setter Amanda Hubbard piled up a match-best 35 assists while libero Natalia Rivera dug-up a match-high 20 digs.

In the Highlanders 25-15 win in the first set, NJIT combined for a .345 hitting percentage with 15 kills.  The set, which saw nine ties and two lead changes, saw its last tie of the frame at 12-12. NJIT used a 13-3 spurt to close out the set.

NJIT will return to action on Sunday at 10am when the Highlanders face University of Denver at 10am and host LIU Brooklyn at 6pm to wrap up the Invitational.