ALBANY, NY – The NJIT women's volleyball team battles closely with Albany but drops in four sets on Friday night.
Set Scores
Set 1: NJIT - 25 | Albany - 20
Set 2: Albany - 25 | NJIT - 21
Set 3: Albany - 25 | NJIT - 11
Set 4: Albany - 25 | NJIT - 20
The match began with both teams exchanging strong offensive plays, with the first set seeing a back-and-forth affair. The Highlanders found their rhythm early with senior outside hitter Mariana Cova leading the charge. Cova finished with 13.5 points and 12 kills on the night which led the team. The Highlanders behind their strong offensive attack were able to secure the opening set win.
In the second set, Albany responded back with a balanced offensive production with strong defense and that style of play carried the Great Danes to a set two victory. The momentum continued to shift in the third set as Albany found its stride. The Great Danes increased their offensive efficiency and the Highlanders had no response falling two sets to one.
The Highlanders had an uphill battle in the fourth set trailing by one however Albany used key runs to grow their lead and the Highlanders were not able to match the offensive attack. The Great Danes finished the match with a .277 attacking percentage whereas the Highlanders finished the match with a .191 attacking percentage.
Sophomore outside hitter Ema Torres followed behind Cova finishing the match with 12 points, nine kills and 14 digs. Leading the way for the Highlanders on the back line was freshman libero Ela Akay leading the team with 20 digs.
Up Next
NJIT returns home after a stretch of three road games as the Highlanders welcome New Haven to the WEC on Tuesday the 14th for a 6:00 p.m. start.
