NEWARK, N.J. – The NJIT women's volleyball team kicked off its weekend at home on Friday night against Bryant, falling in four sets to the Bulldogs. The Highlanders fought to take a must-win third set but fell just short in the fourth set.

Set one was closely contested, with neither side able to pull away from one another throughout most of the frame. After a Taylor West kill gave the Highlanders a two-point edge, 19-17, Bryant rattled off four straight points to pull ahead for good. The Bulldogs would close out the set one win, followed by a strong second stanza to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

NJIT looked strong to open set three, highlighted by an emphatic solo block from Ema Torres to put the home side up four, 11-7. Bryant was undeterred, battling back to take a four-point lead of its own, 20-16, late in the set and looking poised to claim the win. NJIT would put together a late rally to stay alive, using a 9-2 run punctuated by three kills from Torres to keep the match alive. Bryant would bounce back in the fourth, mounting an early lead and never looking back as it took the win in four sets.

Torres and Mariana Cova each paced the Highlanders with nine kills apiece, with Cova doing so on a .292 hitting percentage. West starred defensively with 10 total blocks paired with five kills on the attack. Doga Emil finished the night with 23 digs, while Cece Marino had 22 assists to her name.

Up Next
NJIT returns to action on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. as they host New Hampshire. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.