Pirates Win Two Out of Three at NJIT Invitational

Published: Sunday, September 20, 2026

by Chris Heite

NEWARK N.J. – The Seton Hall Pirates (8-4) won two out of their three matches at the NJIT invitational this past weekend. Matches featured the Pirates facing off against NJIT (1-13), Iona (5-7), and New Haven (4-8).

 

Looking at day one of the invitational, Seton Hall defeated NJIT in five sets. Sophomore Daria Safian had a career high of 21 kills, proving to be the difference maker in the match.

 

In addition to Safian’s efforts, junior Gwen Adler picked up her fifth double-double of the season, pushing the Pirates to victory. The Thursday match certainly tested the Pirates with a five-set thriller, but it was only the beginning of a very competitive weekend leading up to conference play.

 

The next match for Seton Hall took place on Friday when they took on Iona. The Pirates won the match in four sets, with Adler shining as a star yet again. She had the first triple-double in 12 years, marking a history making moment for the junior.

 

Besides the star power of Adler, junior Hania Labanowska recorded her second career double-double, with 15 kills and a career high 14 digs.

 

While Iona put up a good fight, they were no match for the Pirates on Friday, who did not let it get to a fifth set in the defensive battle.

 

Lastly, the Pirates fell to New Haven in the Saturday matchup of the NJIT invitational. In their non-conference finale, Seton Hall was defeated in four sets, failing to sweep the weekend in Newark.

 

Safian and Adler led the team statistically again, but the team fell short in the tough matchup. It marked the first time all season that the Pirates lost despite having a higher attack percentage than their opponent.

 

This match was full of momentum swings, with the Pirates simply running out of gas in the fourth set. The exact moment happened when the two teams were tied at eight, with New Haven going on a run soon after.

 

While the Hall closed non-conference play on a loss, it certainly does not take away from the exceptional run they have had this season thus far. With an 8-4 record, the Pirates are certainly looking to conference play with high hopes this season.

 

Seton Hall will certainly have their work cut out for them in the tough BIG EAST conference, especially after the results of last year’s campaign. Yet, hopes are high in South Orange for the Pirates as they roll into the second half of the season.

 

The Pirates begin conference play when they travel to Queens to take on St John’s on Wednesday, September 23, at 1 P.M.

 

Chris Heite can be reached at christopher.heite@student.shu.edu 

 

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