Grace Nelson finished with a match-high 18 kills as New York University's seventh-ranked women's volleyball team defeated Stevens Institute of Technology, 3-1, on Friday night at the John A. Paulson Center in Manhattan.

The Violets improved to 24-4 with the win and have two regular season matches left before the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship tournament.

"Stevens came out in the first set after a slow start and kept attacking which forced us on our heels," said Head Coach Andrew Brown. "The team did a great job after the first set focusing on the present and controllable. We started to settle down in serve receive and play lights out defense."

The Ducks stormed out to a 25-15 win in the first set, hitting .355 as a team while NYU committed eight attacking errors.

NYU responded with a dominant second set though, running away with a 25-9 victory behind five kills from Nelson and four aces from Lindsey Hirano in the frame.

Four different Violets had two-or-more kills in the third, with Nelson and Haley Holz combining for 10, as NYU confidently took the set 25-14.

Set four was close early, with the Violets leading 10-8, but NYU then mounted a 9-4 run to take control. Stevens made a late comeback attempt but the hosts held it off, finishing the match with a 25-20 victory.

"We got a huge game from Elise at the net with her block and Grace was super dialed in on offense," Brown added. "All in all, it was a great team win against a top regional opponent."

Nelson hit .545 for her 18 kills while adding three aces, three digs and three block assists. Elise Curtin controlled the net throughout, finishing with 10 total blocks (eight assisted, two solo).

Holz and Camille Nazor contributed nine kills apiece, Lindsey Hirano posted a team-high 16 digs, Ava Launsbach recorded a double-double (20 assists, 10 digs) and Dominique Drust added 13 assists and eight digs.

The Violets conclude the 2023 regular season on Sunday, November 5, hosting a tri-match against Manhattanville and Scranton at the Paulson Center. Prior to the Scranton match at 3:00pm, NYU's graduating student-athletes will be honored in a Senior Day ceremony.