Lipscomb returned to its winning ways Friday night in Allen Arena by defeating NJIT in straight sets, but it wasn’t the performance coach Brandon Rosenthal was looking for.
The Bisons needed a 6-0 run to sneak out a first-set win after falling behind 19-22. The second set also saw Lipscomb fall behind early before a 17-4 run to finish gave them an easy 25-16 win. The third set was never close as the Bisons cruised to a 25-13 victory to sweep the Highlanders, who are winless in conference play.
“Unfortunately, it has been challenging for us this year to come out with more of a sense of urgency,” Rosenthal said after the win. “That’s just something we need to continue to get better at. There’s no doubt I was a little frustrated, but we found a way to get it done at the end of the (first) set. I wasn’t terribly pleased with the next set either. I liked what I saw in the third set.”
Coach Rosenthal referenced some recent words from sophomore Jenny Phelan when talking about the Bisons.
“Jenny said it best the other day saying that they (players) have to do more so that we can do less. They have to go out and execute and that is hard sometimes, but the difference between good and great teams is great teams find a way to make that happen. My message to the team was that we have to learn from these experiences throughout the year.”
Chloe Rodgers led the Bisons with nine kills in the match, followed by Taylor Racich, who tallied eight kills.
Lipscomb’s duo of setters both reached double-digit assists in the match, with Kayla Ostrom and Morgan Elmore finishing with 17 and 12 assists, respectively.
Libero Brittany Thomas had 11 digs to lead the Bisons.
With the win, Lipscomb improved to 11-7 on the year and 4-2 in the A-Sun. The Bisons will face off against USC Upstate tonight in Allen at 5 pm, hoping to stay in the race for the conference title.
“Upstate is very scrappy,” Rosenthal said. “If we don’t come out with that urgency we could be in real trouble. They have had 10 games go to a fifth set this year, so that tells you all you need to know. They’re one of those teams that you want to make sure you have your best against.”
Photo courtesy of Lipscomb Athletics