Box Score NEWARK, NJ - The NJIT women's volleyball team hosted its home opener against St. Johns in the Wellness and Events Center on Tuesday evening, September 3, and fell to the Red Storm in straight sets (25-21, 25-19, 25-10).

St. John's improved to 1-3 on the season with the victory while the Highlanders are still looking for their first win after four matches.

"There were definitely some positives to take away from today's match," said NJIT head coach Pedro Trevino. "St. John's is a tough team and I thought we passed well and our defense was great, especially from our young middles."

NJIT scored the first two points of the match on kills from freshman Katelyn Bliesner and senior Madi Busler and the teams went back and forth early, with the score being tied 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, and 7-7 before the Red Storm scored two-straight points to take a bit of control. The Highlanders didn't go away though, getting back within a point on multiple occasions, including at 17-16. St. John's scored three-consecutive points from there to take a four-point lead en route to the 25-21 first set win.

The second set saw the Red Storm race out to a 6-2 lead that eventually grew to as many as six, 12-6, before a 4-0 NJIT rally highlighted by the serving of senior Alahna Diaz cut its deficit to just one, 15-14. St. John's wouldn't let the Highlanders get any closer as it rallied off four-straight of its own, ultimately taking the set 25-19.

St. John's carried the momentum into the third set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead that never went away. A 7-1 Red Storm run midway through the set turned a 12-6 lead into a 19-7 advantage, before the visitors eventually clinched the match with a 25-10 victory.

Five different Highlanders tallied at least three kills with Busler leading the way with five. The aforementioned young middles, Bliesner and fellow freshman Courtney Branch, had solid blocking performances, collecting five and three, respectively. Liz Benson once again handled the setting duties, dishing out 15 assists on Tuesday.

"If our seniors continue to lead well and our underclassmen keep improving, I have all the confidence in the world that we will be in the hunt for the ASUN Tournament, which remains a goal of ours," concluded Trevino.

The Highlanders will return to the court on Friday and Saturday at the Knights Volleyball Classic, hosted by Farleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, NJ. NJIT will take on Quinnipiac Friday at 3pm, Morgan State Saturday at 10am and the host Knights Saturday at 5:30pm.