HACKENSACK, N.J. – Led by the powerful hitting of freshman Nataliya Rybakova, the Fairleigh Dickinson volleyball team rolled to their first Northeast Conference win of the season, topping St. Francis Brooklyn in straight sets 25-19, 25-23, 25-15).
 
Rybakova paced the Knights (4-16, 1-5 NEC) with 13 kills on 28 attacks, while fellow first-year Knight McKenna Setterlund dished out 34 assists and totaled six digs in the victory.
 
In the loss, the Terriers' (7-14, 1-5 NEC) senior outside hitter, Aleksandra Gligoric finished with 10 kills on 29 attacks to go along with 13 digs.
 
With Setterlund serving, the Knights scored the first four points of the night. Senior Taylor Wyckoff set the tone by hammering five kills in the opening frame as the Knights remained in control through the finish line.  Wyckoff finished with nine kills – with just one attack error--, eight digs and a team-high three block assists.
 
The second set proved to the most highly contested of the night as the Knights erased deficits of 4-1 and 10-6 before the teams traded points en route to an 18-18 tie. Earlier in the frame, Setterlund teamed up with sophomore Annabel Reyes for an emphatic block, which tied the set at 10-10 and fired up the Knights' bench.
 
Tied at 18, the Knights took control highlighted by a Reyes kill, which provided the home team with a 21-18 edge. The Terriers fought back and eventually pulled even at 23-23 after a tally by freshman Ally Speweik, however a kill by Rybakova followed by a Speweik miscue gave the Knights the 2-0 match lead.
 
Rybakova logged five of her 13 kills on just one attack error in that crucial second set.
 
In the third set, back-to-back kills by FDU sophomore Erika Sullivan broke a 10-10 tie and forced a Terriers timeout. Sullivan finished with seven kills on 16 attacks and one error in the win.
 
The Knights continued their surge, eventually stretching the lead to six, 18-12, which forced another St. Francis timeout. Leading 21-14, the Knights closed things out with Rybakova pounding three of the final four points.
 
The victory snaps an 11-game skid for the Knights, who have now eclipsed last season's win total. The team will look to continue its momentum tomorrow when they square off against LIU Brooklyn. First serve is set for 4:00 p.m. at the Rothman Center.