NEWARK, NJ - The NJIT women's volleyball team opens up its 2023 schedule later this month and fifth-year Head Coach Pedro Trevino will welcome five newcomers to the roster. 

The newest group of Highlanders include a sophomore transfer and four freshmen that hail from three different American states and Portugal.

"I am very excited for this 2023 class.," explained Trevino. "Each player in this class has a chance to help take this program to new levels for us.  All of these young ladies played for good clubs and were able to play at a high level. That experience will help this class make the transition to the college game easier."

Joining the Highlanders for the 2023 season are Ashlynn Berns, Mariana Cova, Olivia Grall, Rowan Schreiber, and Sara Siefert.

Berns, a setter, is a local product coming to NJIT from nearby Union, NJ where she played at Union High School for four seasons. She was named First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State and was named the MVP of the Union County Championship. Cova will be a sophomore is 2023 after spending her freshman seasons at St. Thomas, an NAIA institution in Florida. A native of Cascais, Portugal, Cova played in 24 matches last season and recorded 173 kills, 56 digs, and 25 blocks. The 5'10 outside hitter attended high school at Salesianos do Estoril.  Grall is a 6'1 middle hitter from Waupaca, WI, where she played at Waupaca High School for three seasons. She was named All-Conference and was the team's MVP during her senior season, when she also served as a team captain.  Schreiber also hails from Wisconsin, coming to NJIT from the state capitol of Madison. A 6'4 middle blocker, Schreiber attended Vel Phillips Memorial High School where she led the Big 8 in blocks and earned several First Team All-Conference honors.  Siefert joins the NJIT roster from Canton, GA, where she attended Sequoyah High School. The 5'11 outside hitter was named 6A First Team All-Region, All-County, First Team All-State, and MaxPrep All-American as she helped lead her team to three 6A state title appearances.  The five newcomers will join 11 returners on Trevino's 2023 squad, which is slated to open its season on August 25 against Delaware State in the first of three matches that weekend at Hofstra.