NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The NJIT women's volleyball team competed through a pair of matches Saturday afternoon at the Iona Invitational, falling to Central Connecticut State in the morning before taking on St. John's in the afternoon.
NJIT opened Saturday's action against Central Connecticut State and battled the Blue Devils throughout all three sets.
The Highlanders came out strong in the opening frame, staying within striking distance throughout the set. NJIT recorded 11 kills and hit .194, but Central Connecticut State answered with 18 kills to take the first set, 25-21.
NJIT produced its strongest offensive performance of the match in the second set, hitting .250 with 11 kills. The Highlanders and Blue Devils battled through seven tie scores and three lead changes before Central Connecticut State pulled away late to take the set, 25-22.
The Blue Devils closed out the match in the third set, 25-17. NJIT continued to battle, but Central Connecticut State finished the frame with 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage to secure the three-set victory.
Junior Ema Torres led the Highlanders in game one with 10 kills, while sophomore Martina Gonzalo Cortes, freshman Kayden Campbell and freshman Tereza Motalova each recorded six kills.
Sophomore Ela Akay paced the NJIT defense with 17 digs, while junior duo of Cece Marino and Finley McAndrew combined for 23 assists.
NJIT returned to the court Saturday afternoon to face St. John's, with the Red Storm taking the match in three sets.
St. John's established momentum early in the opening set, hitting .522 on 15 kills to take a 25-12 victory. NJIT recorded five kills in the frame as the Red Storm took a 1-0 lead.
The Highlanders responded in the second set with their best offensive performance of the match. NJIT recorded 10 kills and hit .211 while continuing to battle the Red Storm. St. John's, however, posted 19 kills in the frame and secured a 25-17 victory.
NJIT continued to compete in the third set, recording eight kills, but St. John's closed out the match with a 25-19 victory. The Red Storm finished the final frame with 12 kills and hit .200 to complete the three-set sweep.
Torres led NJIT offensively with seven kills and one block assist, while freshman Joaneliz Maisonet added five kills and freshman Leah Devaraj contributed four kills.
McAndrew totaled nine assists, Marino added eight assists, one service ace and five digs, while senior Sara Siefert led the Highlanders defensively with nine digs and Akay added six digs.
Up Next
The Highlanders return home to Newark for the start of the NJIT Invitational and welcome Seton Hall on Thursday, the 17th with first serve scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Follow the Highlanders
Keep up with the NJIT women's volleyball team all season long by following on X/Twitter and Instagram (@NJITWVB).
