BROOKLYN, N.Y. - The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball defeated St. Francis Brooklyn in five sets (23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 15-7) to open NEC-play Friday afternoon. With the win SHU improves to 5-8 on the season and 1-0 in NEC-play, while St. Francis Brooklyn falls to 5-9 on the season and 0-1 in the NEC.

Sarah Ciszek led SHU with 44 assists and 25 digs for the double-double, while Liisel Nelis led the team with 19 kills and added 15 digs for the double-double as well. The Pioneers return to action Saturday, Sept. 28, when SHU travels to take on NEC-foe LIU at 4 p.m.

By The Numbers

• SHU hit .208 for the match

• St. Francis Brooklyn hit .217 for the match

• SHU tallied 64 kills and 91 digs in the match

• Sarah Ciszek tallied a game-high 44 assists and 25 digs

• Liisel Nelis recorded a game-high 19 kills

• Along with Ciszek and Nelis, Jillian Kim, Emma Smallcomb and Makayla Dole all recorded a double-double apiece in the win

Set 1 - SFC 25, SHU 23

• The two sides played to a 15-15 set tie

• With the score tied at 22-22, the Terriers took the next two points before a Sarah Ciszek kill stopped the run

• The Terriers took the set after a SHU attack error

SET 2 - SHU 25, SFC 23

• The two sides played it close early with the Terriers holding a slim 10-9 lead

• SHU responded with 6-1 run to take a 15-11 lead, capped kill from Nelis 

• The Terriers cut the SHU lead to as close as 23-22 before the Pioneers took a timeout

• Back-to-back kills from Kim secured the set win for the Pioneers

SET 3 - SHU 25, SFC 19

• The two sides played to a 10-10 tie

• SHU took four of the next five points to take a 14-11 lead to force a St. Francis timeout

• Emma Smallcomb tallied two service aces on the run

• Out of the timeout, the Terriers cut the SHU lead to 14-13 before the Pioneers extended it to 23-17

• Leading 24-19, SHU took the set after a Terrier service error

SET 4 - SFC 25, SHU 22

• Despite the two sides playing close early in the set, the Terriers opened up a 17-11 lead

• SHU cut it to 22-21 before the Terriers took three of the next four points to secure the set

SET 5 - SHU 15, SFC 7

• The sides played to a 4-4 tie

• SHU went on a 7-2 run to take an 11-6 lead, forcing a St. Francis timeout

• Jasmine Rogers, Makayla Dole, Reghan Palanchi and Nelis each recorded a kill during the run

• Leading 14-7, Julia Murawinski scored a kill to secure the match win for the Pioneers