Jan. 25, 2007

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Amobi Armstrong and Leonardo Paludo notched 20 kills apiece, as New Jersey Institute of Technology opened its 2007 men's volleyball season with a 3-1 win over visiting New York University Thursday night.

Armstrong, who has shown spectacular leaping ability and power hitting since his debut for NJIT last season, harnessed those skills against NYU and had just 3 errors to go with his 20 kills in 45 attempts, for a .378 hitting percentage. He also displayed some of his power with three aces off of his jump serve and was one of three Highlanders with 8 digs.

Paludo, a junior in his second season with NJIT, added a pair of aces and 8 digs to his 20 kills. Sophomore setter Rodrigo Correa also had 8 digs to go with 29 assists. Captain Mike Nonnenmann started at setter and collected 20 assists for NJIT.

The other captain, junior Eduardo Welter, played libero after two seasons as a key attacking player for the Highlanders. Welter produced a team-leading 9 digs.

For NYU, ranked sixth in the latest CSTV/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III national poll, Brian Vilven and Macnair Sillick led the attack with 14 kills each. Ilan Goldstein had a match-high 46 assists and David Tener's 12 digs were match-best.

NYU scored a 30-26 win in game one, but the Highlanders stormed back to win the next three games, 30-25, 30-20 and 30-26, respectively. Armstrong and Paludo were relatively quiet in defeat in the first set, but they broke out with six kills each in games two and three. Armstrong, the high-flying sophomore, added five more kills in the match-clinching fourth game.

Thursday's Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Hay Division opener for both clubs featured spirited play between teams with designs on capturing the Hay crown and the promotion to the EIVA Tait Division that goes with it.

NYU, which was in the EIVA's Tait Division last year, came to NJIT having defeated last season's Hay Division champ, East Stroudsburg, 3-1, in the Violets' previous match.

The Highlanders, who finished second in the Hay in 2006, earned a berth in the six-team EIVA postseason for the first time since 2000. NJIT coach Ryan McNeil has made promotion to the Tait Division his team's primary goal this season.

Last year, when NYU was in the Tait Division, it defeated NJIT, 3-1, in the teams' only meeting of the season. Now that they are both in the Hay Division, they will meet at least once more, with the Highlanders visiting NYU on March 29.

The Highlanders will visit Sacred Heart for another EIVA Hay match on January 31 at 8 pm.