Box score
HONOLULU, HI—Hawai'i, ranked 13th in the latest national Division I-II poll, swept visiting NJIT, 3-0, Friday night in the first of a two-match weekend men's volleyball series in the Stan Sheriff Center.
The Warriors, a perennial Top 15 team, took the Highlanders 30-19, 30-22, and 30-20 in the first-ever meeting between the schools in any sport. The match was televised live throughout Hawai'i and the in-person crowd was 2,296.
NJIT's leaders in the match were Amobi Armstrong and Charles Bell, competing in his home state for the first time since his days as an all-state player at Kahuku High School.
Armstrong accounted for a team-leading 11.5 points, with 11 kills and a block assist. Bell had 10.5 points, with 10 kills and a block assist. Rodrigo Correa had 26 assists for the Highlanders.
On defense, Adam Gustafson came through with a match-best 12 digs. Four different players picked up a block assist each for NJIT as Hawai'i dominated at the net, with 11 team blocks to two for the visitors.
Joshua Walker led the Warrior attack with 11 kills and just one error, adding a block assist for 11.5 points. Teammate Steven Grgas was the scoring leaders with 13.5 points on eight kills, two service aces and six block assists.
Nejc Zemljak, the setter for the Warriors, had 46 assists and contributed five block assists.
In the first set, the Warriors quickly jumped in front of the Highlanders and never looked back. UH hit .412 in the set and had 19 kills, led by Walker, who had six kills.
NJIT led the second set, 11-9, forcing a timeout by the Warriors. UH came out of the timeout and went on a 21-11 run to win the second set, 30-22. Walker had five kills in the set.
In the third set, UH led from start to finish, hitting a match-high .457 in the final set.
The teams will play again on Saturday at 7 pm Hawaii Time.
