Box Score
FORT WAYNE, IN – Host IPFW scored a competitive 3-0 men's volleyball win over NJIT Friday night at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center in the season opener for both teams.
IPFW (1-0) topped the Highlanders 30-24, 30-25, 30-24 led by freshman opposite Elon Fyfield with 18 kills while junior Darryl Shank, a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association(MIVA) preseason all-Conference honoree collected 11 kills.
Fyfield made four errors and finished with a .483 hitting percentage as Oliver Kook recorded a .533 attack percentage and committed just one error (9 kills, 1 error, 15 attempts).
Three Mastodons had two service aces apiece, in a category that was led by IPFW, 6-1. Setter Dan Mader piled up a match-best 55 assists and Fyfield led IPFW at the net with three block assists.
Freshman Christian Puszies making his college debut, led the Highlanders with 14 kills. Classmates Andrei Stoyanow and Adam Feehan produced seven kills apiece. Stoyanow had one error in 11 attempts while Feehan had two errors on nine attempts for a team-best .667 attack percentage.
Sophomore setter Adam Gustafson picked up 34 assists and libero Brady Smith came up with a match-best eight digs for the Highlanders. Standing at 6-foot-5, Doug Battersby posted a match-high four total blocks (2 solo, 2 assists) for NJIT.
IPFW took the first set, 30-24, led by six kills for Shank. The Mastodons built a 19-13 lead but the Highlanders cut the deficit to four, 20-24 on a kill by sophomore Glen DeMagalhaes. IPFW finished out the set on a 6-4 run.
The Mastodons took a 2-0 lead in sets with a 30-25 win in the second frame led by Fyfield and Rob Samp's four kills. IPFW opened the set at 10-5, and led by as many as four, 20-16. But the Highlanders got within one, 23-24, on a attack error by Shank, before IPFW closed out the set on a 6-2 run.
Both teams went back and forth in the final frame until the score was even at 21. IPFW rallied off six straight points taking a 27-21 lead. The Mastodons, got nine kills from Fyfield.
NJIT will return to action Saturday at 7pm in a re-match against IPFW.
