Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – Houston Baptist University freshman outside hitter Jasmine Casey set career highs 22 kills and 17 digs to lead the Huskies to a 3-1 (25-18, 25-27, 28-26, 25-21) victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology in the Great West Conference volleyball opener Thursday night at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Casey hit .314 for the match with only six errors on 51 attempts. Senior middle blocker Jolie Graf added 10 kills and six blocks, while junior outside hitter Heather Leaverton had nine kills and 10 digs for the Huskies (13-5, 1-0 GWC). Junior setter Victoria Weatherly paced the offense with 46 assists, eight digs, four blocks and two kills. Senior libero Courtney Whittleman led HBU defensively with 26 digs and a pair of service aces.

Senior outside hitter Christie Dorch had seven kills and nine digs, while senior rightside hitter Isis Gardner had six kills and a pair of blocks and freshman middle blocker Kaiti Waters chipped in with four kills.

“It was great to get out there and win our first conference game and get off to a great start if we want to win the whole thing,” Casey said. “Everyone worked really hard after we lost that second set to finish and show how bad we wanted it.”

Janet Snell led NJIT (5-11, 0-1) with 19 kills and 13 digs, while Renata Pandolfo had 11 kills and 13 digs. Gretchen VonKoenig and Fernanda Lima had six kills apiece. Ana Mercado had 44 assists and 13 digs, while Audrey Snell led the Highlanders with 15 digs and Katie Goswick had 11 digs.

In the first set, the Huskies gained control with three-straight points on a kill by Graf, a block by Graf and Weatherly and a kill by Casey to take a 15-10 lead. HBU increased the advantage to 20-13 after a block by Dorch and Wenger to cruise to a 25-18 decision. Casey carried the load offensively for the Huskies with seven kills in the opening frame.

NJIT jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the second and led by five at 13-8, but the Huskies scored six of the next seven points to tie the set at 14-14. There were seven ties the rest of the way, including at 25-25, but the Highlanders scored the final two points to tie the match with a 27-25 victory.

The third set was also tight, with NJIT taking its largest advantage at three points on two occasions at 10-7 and 12-9, but HBU scored four-straight points to go up, 13-12. The Huskies also took three-point leads at 18-15 and 19-16, but the Highlanders fought back to tie the set, 22-22. There were four ties from that point, with each team dodging a set point, but HBU scored the final two points, both on kills by Casey, to take a 2-1 lead with a 28-26 win.

HBU scored four-straight points early to take a 6-2 lead in the fourth, but NJIT rebounded to cut the lead to 7-6. The Huskies then scored five in a row for a 12-6 advantage, but the Highlanders once again answered, scoring five-straight of their own to cut the lead to 12-11. HBU led, 17-14, and finally shook NJIT with three in a row to reclaim a six-point edge and go on to clinch the match, 25-21.

HBU hit .250 for the match, while NJIT hit .193. The Huskies edged the Highlanders in digs, 77-76, but had 9.5 blocks to NJIT's three.

The Huskies continue their road trip with another conference matchup against Chicago State Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Chicago.