DOVER, DE–The NJIT women's volleyball team wrapped up play at the Delaware State Tournament on Saturday, dropping a pair of matches to Georgetown and UPenn.
Georgetown defeated the Highlanders in straight sets, 3-0, (28-26, 25-17, 25-19) while in the nightcap, UPenn topped NJIT, 3-1 (25-11, 22-25, 25-15, 25-14).
UPenn 3, NJIT 1
In the nightcap of the Delaware State Tournament, UPenn defeated NJIT 3-1. UPenn took the first set 25-11 but the Highlanders rallied back to record a 25-22 victory to even the score at 1-1. The Quakers cruised to a 25-15 and 25-14 victories in the third and fourth frames to earn the 3-1 victory.
Adriana Goetz-Morales led the Highlanders offense with 10 kills followed by Ines Varela and Cami Augustine with six kills. Juliana Impaglia paced the team with 19 assists and defensively Augustine recorded seven digs. Three different Highlanders – Maddie Dennis, Taylor West and Rowan Schreiber registered six digs.
The Quakers took control of the first frame early, going up 10-4 and never looked back, taking the first set 25-11.
NJIT evened the score at 1-1 in the second frame with a 25-22 victory behind a .275 hitting percentage. NJIT broke a 9-9 tie and scored the next six points, taking a 14-9 lead. The Quakers would come as close as two late in the frame but the Highlanders Sara Siefert put down a kill for the final point of the set.
UPenn closed out the match hitting .400 in the third set and .372 in the fourth set to secure the 3-1 victory over the Highlanders.
Georgetown 3, NJIT 0
In the first match of the day, the Highlanders played three tight sets with Georgetown, who defeated NJIT in straight sets – 28-26, 25-17 and 25-19.
NJIT was led by Adriana Goetz-Morales with a team-best seven kills on 17 attempts for a .353 hitting percentage. Mariana Cova added six kills on 14 swings with just one error for a .357 hitting percentage.
Juliana Impaglia and Maddie Dennis split time at the setting position, combining for 12 and 10 assists respectively. Campbell Walker paced NJIT with eight digs while Rowan Schreiber registered a pair of blocks (assists).
Georgetown's Peyton Wilhite led the match with 12 kills and Emily Wen piled up a match-best 25 assists. Karis Park combined for 10 digs defensively for the Hoyas.
In the first frame, NJIT scored the first seven points and extended its lead to 9-2. Georgetown inched their way back into the set, pulling with two, 15-13, and taking its first lead of the set, 17-16, behind four straight points. The set saw seven ties the final at 26-all but it was the Hoyas who registered the final two points of the frame to secure the 28-26 victory.
Georgetown took control of the second set early, jumping ahead 8-2 and 11-3. The Hoyas took a double-digit lead late in the set, 20-10, but the Highlanders battled back, closing the gap to as many as five, behind three straight points for a 21-16 score. Georgetown scored the final four-out-of-five points in the frame to go ahead, 2-0 with a 25-17 victory.
Both teams traded points in the third set until Georgetown scored eight straight points for a 14-8 lead. NJIT responded and cut the deficit to three, 19-16, on an ace from Cami Augustine. Georgetown would score the final four-out-of-five points to earn a 3-0 victory with a 25-19 win.
The Highlanders, who have played their first 13 matches on the road and will open up its home campaign on Wednesday, September 20 at 6pm, hosting Manhattan inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
