HACKENSACK, N.J. – In front of a boisterous Rothman Center crowd, the Fairleigh Dickinson volleyball team was edged in five sets by NJIT (21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 16-14) in the finale of the Knights Fall Classic presented by Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Paramus.
 
The Knights (0-6) claimed the first and third sets before a decisive fifth set came down to the wire. In the final frame, the Knights held a 13-10 lead thanks in part to a spirited offensive effort from freshman Mujay Mambu however, the Highlanders (1-5) regrouped and ultimately took the lead and the victory.
 
Mambu, who was named to the All-Tournament Team for the second week in a row, led all players with a career-high 18 kills in the contest. Sophomore middle hitter Sophia Spiridonakos was front and center as she totaled two aces and kept the Highlanders off-balance with her service throughout the match. Defensively, Spiridonakos racked up a career-best five blocks.
 
Junior outside hitter Victoria Demmene netted her first double-double as a Knight by totaling 12 kills and a team-best 11 digs, while junior Magdalena Maksimovic added 13 kills and classmate McKenna Setterlund doled out 46 assists in the loss.
 
For the Highlanders, Sarah Merritt totaled 17 kills and Madi Busler logged 12. Busler was also named to the All-Tournament Team following the contest.
 
After the teams split the first two sets of the night, the Burgundy and Blue captured a 5-2 lead after Demmene putaway a feed from Setterlund. Leading by one later in the frame, back-to-back kills by Demmene and Maksimovic built a 13-10 lead and put the Knights in prime position to take the match however, the Highlanders would respond.
 
Following a timeout, the Highlanders rattled off three straight points including a kill by Merritt before Mambu stopped the run and gave the Knights match point with her 18^th kill of the night. Unfortunately for the Knights, Mambu's point would be the last for them as the Highlanders registered the final three tallies to capture the 16-14 win.
 
The Knights return to action next Wednesday, September 11 when they host Lafayette. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Rothman Center.
 
"The Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Paramus is the presenting sponsor of the 2019 Knights Fall Classic. Visit Marriott.com/ewrpx for your hotel stay when coming to Fairleigh Dickinson.