NEWARK, NJ – Siena College came marching back from two sets down on Wednesday, upending NJIT by scores of 23-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-20 and 15-12 at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark. The comeback spoiled a stellar performance by NJIT senior Jovana Baosic, who finished with a team-high 16 kills and four block assists.
Siena (3-24, 1-13 MAAC) has now won two of its last three matches dating back to a defeat of St. Peter's last Saturday.
Meanwhile, NJIT (4-24, 2-10 ASUN) has dropped seven-consecutive matches since posting back-to-back conference victories Oct. 6 and Oct. 9.
NJIT raced out to a 5-1 lead in the fifth set before Sienna stiffened up and ended the match on a 14-8 run. Sophomore Nicole Deobler was the driving force for Sienna, providing back-to-back kills that tied the set for the first time at 6-6. She also completed the comeback by providing the match point with a kill on an assist by sophomore Jessica Eblin.
Deobler finished with a match-high 17 kills. Eblin led all Saints with 28 assists while sophomore JoJo Ishida set the bar with 21 digs.
Junior Madi Busler and freshman Udo Nwosu both notched 10 kills to follow closely behind NJIT leader Baosic. Freshman Marissa Soistman had a match-high 30 assists while senior Adriana Nieto paced the Highlanders with 18 digs.
The Highlanders actually flirted with their second sweep of the season. After winning the first two sets, NJIT fell behind 24-15 before mounting a ferocious comeback. The Highlanders went on a 7-0 run after facing set point, but the Saints finally scored the win on a service error. That proved to be the Highlanders best opportunity for closure.
Siena then cruised to a less stressful 25-20 win in set four to force the decider.
After a bit of a sluggish start to the night, the Highlanders fired up in a hurry in the first set. Down 17-14, a Busler kill an assist from junior Liz Benson sparked an 11-6 run for a 25-23 set victory. Busler, who also had a set-high six digs, tied with Nwosu with a team-high three kills in the set.
The momentum parlayed into the second set, as NJIT raced out to a 9-3 edge. Freshman Lillee Olson earned the first kill of the set, and the run featured a pair of kills by Busler and a pair of assists by Soistman. The Highlanders put the set to bed, 25-15, on another kill by Olson.
Baosic played a significant role in the second set, recording a set-high five kills to go along with a pair of digs and a block assist. She also registered a set-high five kills in the third set.
The Highlanders seek a return to their winning ways when they step back into ASUN play with Jacksonville University (4-21, 2-10 ASUN) on Friday. The home match is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Wellness and Events Center (WEC) in Newark.
#ProtectTheWEC
