Volleyball Pushes NJIT to Brink Before Falling in Seton Hall Classic Opener
Double-doubles by Keckler and Milosevic helped lead CCSU before falling in five sets to NJIT
The Central Connecticut volleyball team opened play at the Seton Hall Classic on Friday, falling to NJIT, 3-2. The Blue Devils were led by Olivia Keckler (20 kills, 11 digs) and Anja Milosevic (58 assists, 14 digs) who each recorded a double-double.
GAME INFORMATION | BOX SCORE
Score: CCSU 2, NJIT 3 (24-26, 27-25, 25-17, 23-25, 15-11)
Records: CCSU (0-4), NJIT (2-3)
Location: Walsh Gymnasium | South Orange, NJ
KEY MOMENTS
- The opening set was back-and-forth throughout the early going. A kill by Keckler would tie the score at 14-14 midway through as neither team led by more than two points. After NJIT took a 23-21 lead, CCSU would call timeout to regroup. A kill by Weronika Poczynek would stem the tide before the Highlanders managed to serve for set point at 24-22. A pair of NJIT errors tied the score before a kill by Breanna Ginley gave Central a 25-24 lead and it would win on an error.
- NJIT would take its largest lead in the second frame at 15-12 before consecutive kills by Aubrey Stitcher and Amanda Tokam made it a one-point game. CCSU would forge ahead, 20-18, after kills by Poczynek and Keckler. Central would have a set-point at 24-23 that NJIT fended off and would eventually get back-to-back blocks to take the set, 27-25.
- After an opening kill by Poczynek in the third set, NJIT would take control and led throughout the frame. The score was tied 7-7 before the Highlanders used a 9-3 spurt to go ahead and would take a 2-1 lead in the match after closing out the frame, 25-17.
- In the fourth frame, NJIT led 11-7 before a kill by Poczynek sparked a run of four straight points that leveled the score following a Keckler kill. Facing a 23-22 deficit, CCSU rallied with back-to-back kills by Poczynek and Ginley before an NJIT error gave Central a 25-23 win in the set to even the match.
- In the deciding set, a pair of kills by Poczynek would help CCSU take an early 4-1 lead. NJIT would scrap back with a run of four straight points to edge ahead, 7-5. A kill by Stitcher tied the score at 8-8, but four straight NJIT points put the Highlanders in front and they would close out the match with back-to-back blocks.
NUMBER TO KNOW
58 – Milosevic tied the fifth-most assists for a match in CCSU program history.
NOTES
- Poczynek finished with a match-high 21 kills.
- Annabelle Denomme had a match-high 15 digs.
- Ginley finished with nine kills and a team-high two blocks.
- CCSU leads the all-time series, 8-3.
NEXT UP
- CCSU continues play at the Seton Hall Classic on Saturday against Iona.
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