Post Game Interivew

Highlights 

NEWARK, NJ—The NJIT women's volleyball team opened the home portion of its 2016 season with a 3-1 victory over visiting Saint Peter's Tuesday night in the Fleisher Athletic Center.

The Highlanders (5-6) cruised to a 25-9 victory in the first set behind an impressive .360 hitting percentage. Saint Peter's (0-4) bounced back in the second frame to draw even at 1-1 with a 25-22 win.  NJIT rolled to a 25-14 win in the third set before clinching the match in four sets with a 25-16 victory.

Senior co-captain Anneka Harris and junior Tess Albyn keyed the Highlander attack, recording 11 kills apiece.   Senior newcomer Katarzyna Klocek was the match-leader with 12 kills.

Junior setter Anna Rodrigues notched her first double-double of the season with 40 assists and 13 digs to along with a .700 hitting percentage with seven kills on 10 attempts with no errors.  Rodrigues, a transfer from San Jacinto College in Texas, also collected two block assists and two service aces in the victory.

On the defensive side, sophomore libero Adriana Nieto paced the match with 23 digs followed by Weronika Wiezik (16) and Rodrigues (13). 

In front of the net, the Highlanders held an 11-to-6 team blocking advantage, paced by junior middle blocker Mikalah Hughes with seven block assists.  Klocek added four assists followed by Harris (3) and two apiece from Wiezik and Albyn.

NJIT, which held a 12-to-4 advantage in the service ace category, was led by Nieto with seven aces.  The seven aces are a new NJIT Division I record in a four-set match. In addition to setting, a new NJIT D1 record, Nieto's seven aces ranks tied for third individually among the nation in a four-set match. Wiezik and Rodrigues each combined for two aces in the win.

Saint Peter's was led by Kristina Nieves with nine kills.  Setter Kaitlyn Sitton piled up 21 assists and added five digs while libero Carolina Ruiz registered a team-high 16 digs. 

Marlena Budna led the Peacocks in front of the net with four total (one solo, three assists).

In the first set, the Highlanders combined for an impressive .360 hitting percentage, led by Harris' five kills.  NJIT jumped out to a 9-1 lead and later extended to 16-6, cruising to a 25-9 victory.

Saint Peter's won the second frame, 25-22, to even the match at 1-1.  The frame saw 13 ties and three lead changes, the final at 21-21 after a kill by Hughes.  The Peacocks finished off the set on a 4-1 spurt for a 25-22 victory.

The home team took control early in the third set, with an 8-4 advantage and increased its lead to 13-6, resulting in a Saint Peter's timeout.  The Highlanders took a 12-point lead, 20-8, behind back-to-back kills by Hughes and Albyn.  NJIT went on to win the third frame, 25-14.  Albyn and Klocek combined for four kills apiece in the set.

In the fourth and final set, NJIT scored the opening three points and never looked back, holding a comfortable lead in the late teens and into the early 20's, 22-12, behind seven consecutive points by the Highlanders.  NJIT clinched the match with a 25-16 victory.

NJIT will play its next eight matches away from home, beginning with a weekend trip to the Lafayette Tournament in Easton, Pennsylvania.   NJIT will face host Lafayette on Friday at 7pm and then take on St. Francis Brooklyn on Saturday at 12:30pm and conclude the tournament against Manhattan at 6pm.