EASTON, PA - The NJIT women's volleyball team came up short against host Lafayette on Tuesday evening, falling to the Leopards in a non-conference match in the Kirby Sports Center. 

Lafayette (2-3) took the opening set 25-11, but the Highlanders (1-4) played their opponents much closer the rest of the way falling narrowly 25-23 and 25-22 in the second and third sets, respectively.

NJIT hit .239 for the match, the second-best attacking percentage of the young season, just behind its the .244 attacking percentage in the season-opening victory over Saint Peter's last Tuesday in Newark. 

Elley Torres was the team's top offensive performer against Lafayette, tallying a season-high nine kills with no errors on 16 swings (.563 attacking percentage). The sophomore also recorded three service aces and a pair of blocks.

The Highlanders dominated the blocking game, out-blocking the Leopards 11-3 behind a match-best seven blocks from junior Courtney Branch. Sophomore Adriana Goetz-Morales turned away five balls at the net and also tallied six kills.

NJIT returns to the court on Friday when it travels down the Turnpike to take on Rutgers in the first of three matches in Piscataway this weekend. First serve for Friday's matchup between the Highlanders and Scarlet Knights is slated for 11am in the Rutgers Athletic Center.