HACKENSACK, N.J. – Juniors Victoria Demmene and Magdalena Maksimovic racked up 15 kills apiece as the Fairleigh Dickinson volleyball team defeated Merrimack 3-1 (25-20, 25-14, 22-25, 25-18) at the Rothman Center on Saturday night.
 
The duo powered the Knights to their first NEC victory and a season-high kills per set average in the process. Maksimovic committed just two errors and finished with a .265 attack percentage, while her classmate McKenna Setterlund double-doubled with 17 assists and 11 digs.
 
Defensively, junior Allison Koester totaled a career-high 29 digs and sophomore Brooke Stevens added seven total blocks – also a career-high output.
 
For the Warriors, Taylor Sawyer finished with 12 kills and Rosie Sperduto handed out 22 assists.
 
Four different Knights recorded a kill as the Burgundy and Blue jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the opening set. A 4-0 run highlighted by a pair of kills from freshman Mujay Mambu provided the Knights with a nine-point lead, 23-14, and they would hold off a late surge by the Warriors to claim the opening frame.
 
In the second, the Knights broke open a 10-10 tie by rattling off a 11 of the next 14 points. Demmene closed out the set with three-straight service aces and provided the Knights with a 2-0 match lead.
 
After the Warriors took the third set, they rode the momentum to an 8-3 lead in the fourth. The Knights would storm back with five points in a row, highlighted by a kill from freshman Cloe Abadie Calderon.
 
Trailing 13-11, the Knights went to work and scored six straight points including a pair of kills from Mambu, which provided the home team with a four-point edge. The Knights would not trail again as Demmene finalized the victory with her 15^th kill of the contest.
 
The Burgundy and Blue return to action next Friday, October 25 when they travel to Smithfield, R.I. to take on Bryant.