It was a total team effort Friday afternoon as the Valpo volleyball team opened the Lehigh Steel Classic in Bethlehem, Pa. with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-14) sweep of NJIT.
 
How It Happened

• NJIT took early control of the opening set, leading by as many as six points. The Highlanders still led by five points at 15-10 before Valpo used a 6-0 run on the serve of Kadence Brumitt (Niles, Mich./Brandywine) to erase the deficit.
• A later 4-0 run on the serve of Mara Thomas (Bogart, Ga./Athens Academy) gave Valpo the lead for good at 21-18, as NJIT got no closer than two points the rest of the way in the opening set.
• The Beacons trailed by as many as three points in the second set at 14-11 before scoring four of the next five points to even things up. The teams would be tied again at 16-16, 17-17 and 19-19 before Valpo scored six of the set's final nine points to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
• Valpo's longest scoring run of the season to date turned the third set in its favor, as Thomas stepped back to the service line after a kill from Keira Lucas (Brazil, Ind./Northview) made it 10-9 NJIT and proceeded to serve the next eight points in a row. After the Highlanders scored a point on a Valpo error, the Beacons scored three more in succession as they cruised to closing out the sweep.

 
Inside the Match

• Valpo got contributions up and down the lineup Friday, with 14 players seeing action and 12 of those players playing in multiple sets.
• Brumitt, Lucas, Jordyn Gove (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) and Sam Warren (Kentland, Ind./South Newton) all tied for team-high honors with eight kills apiece.
• The Beacons finished with a season-best .354 hitting percentage — their third time this year hitting better than .300 — and out-killed NJIT, 49-27 — a season-best advantage in that category.
• Both of Valpo's setters recorded a setting percentage above .500 in the sweep. Thomas dished out 13 assists with a .542 setting percentage, her second career match above .500, while Addy Kois (Osceola, Ind./Penn) delivered 17 assists with a .515 setting percentage, her fourth match this year above .500.
• The Beacons tied a season best with nine service aces, led by three from the freshman Lucas.
• Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) led all players with 15 digs, the 100^th time in her collegiate career she has finished in double figures in the category. She is now just five digs shy of fourth place in program career history.
• Maddie Moan (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock [Milwaukee]) and Claire Campbell (Warrensburg, Ill./Warrensburg-Latham) both made their season debuts in the win — Moan chipped in six kills, while Campbell tied for match-high honors with a career-best three blocks.
• Freshman setter Olivia Wagner (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South) made her collegiate debut in the third set and handed out four assists.

 
Next Up
Valpo (5-3) closes out its time at Lehigh with a pair of matches on Saturday. The Beacons face Sacred Heart at 9 a.m. CT before finishing up against the hosts at 12:30 p.m. CT. The match against the Mountain Hawks can be seen live on ESPN+.