SPARTANBURG, SC—NJIT women's volleyball absorbed a 3-2 defeat at USC Upstate in the ASUN conference opener Saturday afternoon in Hodge Center.

The Highlanders, which entered Saturday's contest winners of its last four-out-of-five matches, drops to an even 8-8 overall and 0-1 in the conference.  USC Upstate won its ASUN opener for the first time since 2010, improving to 8-9 overall and 1-0 in the conference.

Visiting NJIT won the first set in extra points, 30-28, behind a .260 team hitting percentage.  Upstate evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-22 victory in the second frame.  The Highlanders won by the identical score, 25-22, in the third frame to go up, 2-1, but the Spartans cruised to a 25-15 victory in the fourth frame, setting up a fifth and deciding set.

In the fifth and deciding set, Upstate opened the set on a 7-2 run.  The Highlanders went on a 6-2 run, pulling within one of the Spartans, 8-9, on a kill by senior Anneka Harris. 

The Spartans used a 4-1 spurt, extending its lead to four, 13-9.  NJIT rallied back, down 10-14, scoring three unanswered, slimming the Spartan lead to one, 13-14, but a kill by Montana Swanson clinched the match, 15-13, for Upstate.

The Highlanders had four players in double-digit kills, paced by senior Weronika Wiezik's third double-double of the season with 15 kills and 17 digs.  Senior Katarzyna Klocek followed with 12 kills while Harris and Tess Albyn notched 11 and 10 kills respectively.

Junior setter Anna Rodrigues recorded her fifth double-double of the season with a career-best 51 assists to go along with 15 digs, six kills and three total blocks.  Rodrigues hit .417 on 12 attempts with just one error.

Sophomore libero Adriana Nieto led the match with a season-best 31 digs, four shy her career-best 35 vs. Rider last season.  Alyssa Armada added 14 digs for the Highlanders.

NJIT held a 9-to-4 team blocking advantage, paced by three different Highlanders – Harris, Rodrigues and Albyn with three blocks apiece. 

The service ace category was even at 5-5, led by NJIT's Nieto with a match-high three aces.

Upstate's Madison Haake extended her double-double streak to nine consecutive matches after finishing with 51 assists and 16 digs. Haake was joined by Montana Swanson (11k, 17d), Callie Yeargin (18k, 14d) and Rebecca Shearer (17k, 10d) as all three finished with double-doubles.

Defensively, Upstate had five players compile double-digit digs led by Haake and Kaleigh Kelley at 16 each.

In the first set, Upstate began the first set on a 12-4 run capped by a kill from Haake. NJIT rallied back with a 17-9 run of its own to tie the frame at 21-21. The Highlanders were at set point, 24-22, before the Spartans scored the next two points to even the score at 24-24. The teams exchanged the next nine points before an Upstate attack error gave NJIT the 30-28 win.

The second frame, which saw nine ties and four lead changes, were tied 13-13 midway through. Upstate went ahead 17-14 after Swanson's kill, only to see the Highlanders take the lead back, 20-18, after going on a 6-1 run. The Spartans finished the set on a 7-2 run to win 25-22.

Upstate held an early 11-7 lead in the third set, following back-to-back service aces by Swanson.  The Spartans maintained a 17-14 advantage midway through the frame, but NJIT rallied back to even the set at 20-20. The Highlanders scored five of the last seven points to secure the set 25-22 and take a 2-1 lead.

Behind a .244 hitting percentage for Upstate, the Spartans broke a 10-10 tie, on a 9-1 run to go in front 19-11. The Spartans led by at least six points after that and earned the 25-15 victory, resulting in a fifth and deciding set.

NJIT will return to action on Tuesday when the Highlanders visit Iona in New Rochelle, NY for a 7pm spike.