Grace Nelson recorded a match-high 10 kills as New York University's 11th-ranked women's volleyball team defeated Montclair State University in straight sets on Tuesday night at the John A. Paulson Center in Manhattan.

The win was NYU's third straight while Nelson, a rookie, has now posted 10-or-more kills in three of her first four collegiate outings.

"Tonight the team did a really good job at making adjustments after a close first set," said head coach Andrew Brown. "We really focused in on our block in sets two and three and made it hard for a talented Montclair team to earn a point. I feel the team did a really good job making small adjustments and everyone that saw action tonight played great."

Set one was closely contested throughout, featuring 13 ties and six lead changes. But, with the score knotted at 21-21, the Violets scored four consecutive points to take a 1-0 lead in games. Nelson, Camille Nazor and Leela Anvekar had four kills apiece in the opening frame.

The Red Hawks kept things close to open the second until NYU went on to establish a 14-8 lead after a kill from Ella Weider. Back-to-back MSU points followed, but the Violets closed the set on an 11-4 run to put themselves on the verge of a sweep.

NYU never trailed in the third while Dominique Drust notched six aces in the set as the hosts ran away with a 25-10 victory. Seven different Violets recorded a kill in the third, including Reilly Goueth in her collegiate debut.

Nelson hit .286 for her 10 kills in addition to six digs and a pair of block assists. Nazor and Haley Holz totaled eight kills each while Anvekar had six and Weider finished with four. 

Drust and Ava Launsbach tied for the match high in assists with 16 apiece while Lindsey Hirano brought up a match-high-tying nine digs.

The Violets hit .404 as a team and totaled 46 kills as opposed to Montclair's 21.

NYU continues its season-opening stretch of home matches with the Violet Volleyball Weekend on Friday and Saturday, September 8 and 9. The Violets open the weekend against Franklin & Marshall College on Friday at 4:30 p.m.