Box Score
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – The Manhattan College volleyball team rebounded after dropping the first set to post a 23-25, 27-25, 25-9, 28-26 victory over NJIT (3-4) at the Geonvesi Center in the Terrier Invitational on Saturday morning. Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) hit .487 for the Jaspers (5-1), slamming 20 kills and committing just one error in 39 attempts.
Volovski's performance was Manhattan's first 20-kill effort since she had 26 kills in a five-set win over Iona on Oct. 12, 2013.
In a back-and-forth first set, there were 13 ties and the lead changed hands five times. The Jaspers went up early, 5-3, before NJIT responded with a 5-1 run to go ahead 8-6. After the Highlanders opened up a 13-10 advantage, Manhattan used an 8-3 spurt to pull in front, 18-16. NJIT regained the lead, 20-19, but the Jaspers countered with four straight points, getting a kill from Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) and two from Volovski to take a 23-20 lead. However, NJIT scored the final five points of the set to claim a 25-23 win.
The second set was just as competitive as the first, as there were seven ties and four lead changes. Manhattan opened up an early 4-1 lead before NJIT rallied to go up 10-8. However, the Jaspers scored 10 of the next 14 points to take an 18-14 advantage. After a Van Dyk kill made it 22-17, the Highlanders claimed four straight points to get back within one, 22-21. The Jaspers reached set point at 24-22, but NJIT rallied to tie it at 24-24. Manhattan had two more set points at 25-24 and 26-25 before a Volovski kill ended it. The Jaspers evened the match at 1-1 with the 27-25 set win.
Manhattan dominated the third set. The Jaspers scored six of the first seven points and led 9-2 before NJIT called timeout. Manhattan extended its advantage to 16-5 on three straight service aces by Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii), and NJIT only won consecutive points twice in the entire set. The Jaspers' only hitting error of the frame came when Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) was blocked to make it 21-9, but that would be the Highlanders' last point of the set. Manhattan hit a combined .407 (12-1-27) in the stanza, which it captured by a 25-9 margin.
NJIT recovered in the fourth set, rallying from 4-2 down to take an 8-5 lead. However, a Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii) kill sparked a 10-3 Manhattan run that gave the Jaspers a 13-10 advantage. Manhattan extended the margin to 21-16 on a Van Dyk ace, but NJIT countered with a 6-1 spurt to force a 22-22 deadlock. After Manhattan got kills from Volovski and Anna Kitlar (Kiel, Germany) to reach match point, the Highlanders won the next three to earn a set point of their own. The Jaspers fought off that set point, then had two more match point opportunities at 26-25 and 27-26. Manhattan converted that third chance, as Kitlar served an ace to wrap up the set, 28-26, and the match, 3-1.
McGuinness also had a strong match offensively, recording her second straight double-double with 18 kills and 14 digs. Teodora Peric (Chicago, Ill.) also posted a double-double with 37 assists and 10 digs. Van Dyk added nine kills, 10 digs and three service aces, while Yamashiro served four aces to go along with a match-high 17 digs. Sarah Haselhorst (Naperville, Ill.) contributed 10 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Highlanders 69-68. As a team, Manhattan hit .252 (61-20-163) in the match.
Danica Vukotic led the Highlanders with 12 kills and 15 digs. She also recorded four aces. Tess Albyn added nine kills on .533 hitting, while Alyssa Armada had a double-double with 36 assists and 15 digs. Fran Edmondson finished with 15 digs and Camilla Tinari tallied 13 digs. NJIT hit .214 (50-19-145) as a team.
The Jaspers conclude the Terrier Invitational later on Saturday, when they take on host St. Francis Brooklyn (2-5) at 4 p.m.