NEWARK, NJ—Junior outside hitter
Madi Busler led the match with a double-double, notching 12 kills and 14 digs, leading NJIT to a 3-1 victory over visiting Fairleigh Dickinson in non-conference women's volleyball action at the Wellness and Events
Center.
The win for the Highlanders snaps a 10-match skid, moving to 2-14 on the season while Fairleigh Dickinson drops to 2-13 on the year.
NJIT picked up a 25-15 victory in the first frame and the visiting Knights answered with a 25-16 win in the second set to even the match at 1-1. The Highlanders notched a 25-19 victory in the third frame and secured the win with a 25-22 win in the fourth frame.
In addition to Busler's match-best 12 kills, freshman middle
Marina Markaki combined for 11 kills while
Iva Mandic and
Jovana Baosic recorded 10 kills respectively. Markaki combined for a .400 hitting percentage on 20 swings and just three errors. Freshman
Udo Nwosu added eight kills.
Setter
Liz Benson and Marissa Soistamn split time at the setting position, piling up 25 and 22 assists for the Highlanders.
Senior liber
Adriana Nieto posted a match-best 24 digs followed by Busler with 14.
Olivia Welsch added nine digs.
The Highlanders edged the Knights in the service ace category, 5-to-1, paced by Busler with three aces.
Markaki and Nwosu each notched four total blocks for the Highlanders.
Fairleigh Dickinson was paced by Erika Sullivan's 10 kills. Setter Corina Beimer just missed posting a double-double with 32 assists and nine digs. Defensively, Erin Singer led the Knights with a team-best 14 digs followed by Jaelyn Young (11) and Jessica Throckmorton (10).
The Knights held a 13-to-7 team blocking advantage led by Katie Quaintance with nine total blocks (one solo, eight assists).
In the first frame, which saw the Highlanders hit .226, combined for 14 kills on 37 attempts with seven errors. Busler led NJIT with four kills in the set.
NJIT scored the opening five points of the set and pushed ahead 11-6 and later 17-9, cruising to a 25-15 victory.
Fairleigh Dickinson answered in the second frame, jumping out to a 15-5 advantage and never looked back. The Knights hit .336 for the match and held on for a 25-16 victory.
In the third frame, NJIT took control early, 4-1 and increased its lead to 10-5 on a kill by
Makayla Greenfield. NJIT built a five-point advantage, 16-11, after back-to-back kills by Markaki, resulting in a Knights timeout.
NJIT held a comfortable lead through the late teens and went on to record a 25-19 victory scoring the final three points of the set.
The fourth frame saw eight ties and four lead changes, the final tie at 21-all. The Highlanders closed out of set on a 4-1 spurt securing the 25-22 victory.
NJIT will return to ASUN Conference action this weekend, first hosting FGCU on Friday at 6pm and new member to the league, Liberty on Sunday at 1pm.
