NEWARK, NJ—Visiting Springfield scored six of the last eight points for a 16-14 win in the fifth and deciding set of its 3-2 win over NJIT in Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tait Division men's action Tuesday night in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

The Pride, 5-4 overall and 1-3 in the EIVA Tait after the victory, scored an airtight five-set win, defeating the Highlanders (3-4, 0-4 EIVA Tait), 30-21, 21-30, 33-31, 25-30, and 16-14.

NJIT, which had led the fifth set, 12-10, saw Springfield, the nation's top-ranked Division III team, come back to claim a 13-12 lead. However, the score was knotted at 14 on a Pride service error. But the Highlanders committed their own service error and then Springfield clinched the match on a kill by senior Mark Ribeiro.

Ribeiro finished with 10 kills, while AJ Nally led the Springfield attack with 12 kills. Eric Shoemaker collected 38 assists. Nally also led the Pride's floor defense with 12 digs, Shoemaker had 10 and Ribeiro had eight.

Springfield, which had a distinct 19-10 advantage in team blocks was led at the net by Andy Sipe's seven blocks (1 solo, 6 assists). Shoemaker and Cal Palumbo had six blocks apiece.

NJIT had four players with double-figure kills totals, headed by Amobi Armstrong with a match-best 27. Freshman Glen DeMagalhaes added 13 kills, followed by Raphael Mattos (11) and Charles Bell (10). Senior Rodrigo Correa notched 57 assists.

Mattos, the freshman from Brazil, produced a match-best 14 digs, while Chuck Richmond had 11 and De Magalhaes picked up 10.

Robert Thomas tied for match honors with seven blocks and Armstrong added five, but the rest of the NJIT team combined for just three total blocks. On the other hand, nine Springfield players were in on at least one block, helping to explain the Pride's 19-10 team advantage.

NJIT fired eight service aces to four for the visitors, with Mattos serving three aces and Correa two for the Highlanders.

Both teams committed numerous serving and attack errors, but it was NJIT that was hurt more. The Highlanders had 69 kills to 46 for Springfield, but the Highlanders also committed 41 attack errors to 31 for the visitors.

On serve, NJJT had the aforementioned 8-4 edge in aces, but the Highlanders had 30 service errors, while Springfield had 17. Each error results in a point for the other team, so NJIT's 23-point deficit in attack and service errors proved extra costly in such a close match.

Tuesday's match was the first between NJIT and Springfield since the EIVA playoffs last April 16, when the Highlanders ended the Pride's season, 30-19, 30-23, and 30-15. That playoff win for NJIT came just a few days after Springfield had capture the 2008 Division III national men's volleyball championship.

Next up for the Highlanders is the second of four straight home matches, as they host EIVA Tait foe Princeton on Tuesday, February 17 at 7 pm in the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.