Box Score

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's volleyball team picked up its second victory of the season and its first in Northeast Conference action after defeating St. Francis Brooklyn, 3-2, in a thrilling five-set match at Stratis Arena. FDU won the match by scores of 25-19, 21-25, 25-14, 21-25, 15-10. With the victory, the Knights improve to 2-21 (1-8 NEC) on the season, while the Terriers fall to 6-21 (2-7 NEC) overall.

FDU was down by two points on five different occasions early in the first set until it scored three points in a row, with three coming on attack errors, to take an 11-9 lead.

St. Francis fought back and eventually retook the lead at 15-14, but a kill by freshman Alyssa Mcivor and a service ace by fellow classmate Oliva Johnson gave the Knights the lead back, 16-15.

With the set tied at 17-17, FDU took over, as the home team finished strong with an 8-2 run to take the first set, 25-19.

In the second set the Knights broke open a 6-6 tie by scoring three of the next four points, as a kill from graduate student Violeta Slabakova (Shelby Township, Mich./Utica) gave FDU a 10-7 lead.

However, the Terriers responded with a 10-3 run to retake the advantage at 17-13. But a kill from freshman Courtney Kovensky (Highland, Calif./Citrus Valley) started a streak of four straight points for the Knights to tie the set at 17-17.

St. Francis then scored the next three points to take the lead for good. Back-to-back kills from Kovensky cut the deficit to 20-19, but it was not enough, as the Terriers tied the match at one set apiece.

FDU rolled in the third set after finding itself down 8-7. Kovensky's kill triggered an 11-3 spurt to give the home team a comfortable 18-11 lead.

St. Francis cut the lead to six at 19-13, but the Knights ended the set on a 6-1 run to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The fourth set saw three ties over the first half of play, with the last coming at 14-14, before the Terriers scored three straight points to take a 17-14 lead.

The visitors extend their lead to 22-18, but FDU came back with three points in a row, as the Knights scored on a Slabakova kill, a service ace from sophomore Corey Lostetter (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) and an attack error, which cut the deficit to 22-21. But St. Francis regrouped after a timeout to score the final three points and force a deciding fifth set.

With senior Taylor Roland-Buohl (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) serving to start the final set, the Knights scored the first three points and eventually extended their lead to 6-2.

After the Terriers scored the next two, Slabakova's kill started a string of three consecutive points for FDU for a 9-4 lead.

St. Francis came back to cut the lead to three on four different occasions, with the last coming at 13-10, but the Knights closed out the match with a kill from Roland-Buohl and an attack error to clinch their second victory of the season.

FDU was led all around by multiple players, but Roland-Buohl, Slabakova and Mcivor each registered double-doubles. Roland-Buohol dished out a career-high 46 assists and recorded 17 digs on defense; Slabakova added 15 kills and 16 digs, while Mcivor smashed a game-high 16 kills and a career-best 17 digs.

Roland-Buohl also added a game-high four service aces, with Kovensky and sophomore Maddie Gibbons (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview Heights) registering 15 and 11 kills, respectively.

On the defensive side of the net, junior Deborah Hong (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) led the way with a game-high 23 digs, while Lostetter added 12. Junior Hanifa Addi (Springdale, Md./Charles H. Flowers) also had a game-high six block-assists, with Roland-Buohl chipping in three.

The Knights will return to action Saturday, Nov. 2 when they travel to Fairfield, Conn. to take on Sacred Heart in an NEC contest.