Box Score

Postmatch Interview with Bailey Keith

HOUSTON – Houston Baptist sophomore outside hitter Bailey Keith hit .429 with 15 kills to lead the Huskies to their six-straight victory, a 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-18) sweep of the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Great West Conference volleyball Sunday afternoon at Sharp Gym.
 
Senior outside hitter Heather Leaverton recorded her team-leading 14^th double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs. Junior middle blocker Caiti Wenger had eight kills and three blocks, while sophomore middle blocker Madeline Gaffney had seven kills and three blocks. Senior setter Victoria Weatherly, who ranks 14^th in the nation in assists per game, dished out 44. Sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Casey led the Huskies (18-10, 6-1 GWC) defensively with 17 digs to go along with five kills, while sophomore libero Esther Longoria added nine digs.
 
Danica Vukotic led NJIT (10-14, 2-4) with 10 kills, while Camilla Tinari had six and Julia Colombo had five. Renata Pandolfo led the Highlanders with 15 digs.
 
HBU hit .297 for the match, while holding NJIT to .137. The Huskies outdug the Highlanders, 50-37, outblocked them, 6-4, and held an 8-0 advantage in service aces.
 
The first set was close and NJIT held the lead at 18-15, but HBU scored the next four to take its first lead in the set since 1-0. After the Highlanders tied it at 19, the Huskies scored three in a row to go up 22-19 and took the set 25-21. Keith had eight kills with no errors on 13 attempts in the frame for HBU, while Vukotic had five to lead NJIT.
 
The second was all HBU as it led 6-5, then reeled off six-straight points, including a pair of aces by Wenger, to lead 12-5. After the Highlanders sided out, the Huskies scored four more in a row to extend their advantage to 10. HBU led, 21-12, then scored the final four points, getting a pair of kills each from Wenger and Leaverton, to close out the set, 25-12, and take a 2-0 lead in the match. Leaverton had six kills in the set, while Wenger added five for the Huskies.
 
The Huskies jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the third, but the Highlanders answered back by scoring the next four to tie it. With the score still tied at 10, HBU scored four-straight to regain control. The Huskies led by six on a couple of occasions, but the Highlanders chipped away and cut the lead to 21-18. They would get not closer as HBU scored the last four points on back-to-back kills by Keith, a kill from Casey and an ace by Longoria at match point to clinch it, 25-18. Keith paced the Huskies with four more kills in the frame.
 
The Huskies wrap up the regular season against UT-Pan American on Senior Day Saturday at 2 p.m. at Sharp Gym. With a victory, HBU would clinch the No. 1 seed at the Great West Conference Tournament and at least a share of the regular-season title.