Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, MA – Springfield swept NJIT in straight sets, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-20 in a non-conference men's volleyball match Thursday night at Blake Arena.
Mike Pelletier led the way for the home team posting a match-high 13 kills. Greg Falcone added seven kills to the Springfield attack and setter Mike Becker finished with a team-high 26 assists.
On defense, Nick Ferry, the only Springfield player reach double-figure dig totals posted 12 digs. Cal Palumbo was the blocking leader for Springfield with three block assists and one solo.
The kills' leader for NJIT was freshman Herman Kantushov, who notched eight. Three Highlanders notched six kills – Andrei Stoyanow, Kevin Van Oss and Doug Battersby.
Junior Adam Gustafson collected a match-high 27 assists. Libero Brady Smith led the NJIT defense with 11 digs. Gustafson added six digs for the visitors. Van Oss and Kantushov were the team leaders with two block assists apiece.
The opening set was tight until the score was knotted at 15. Springfield rallied off seven straight points taking a 22-15 lead. The Highlanders scored the next two points on a kill by Kantushov and service error by Springfield but the home team closed out the first set, 25-17, scoring the final three points.
Springfield took a quick lead in the second set, 8-4, but NJIT came back for a 10-10 tie, the first of three in the match. The Highlanders went ahead 17-14 on a service ace by Van Oss and NJIT stayed ahead by four, 21-18 on a kill by Kantushov. The home team would rally off four points, to take the lead by one, 22-21, on a kill by Tyler Tanaka. Head Coach Ryan McNeil called a time out and his team responded by knotting the match at 22, on a kill by Gustafson. Tied at 22, Springfield went on a 3-0 run to close out the set, 25-22.
In the final set, Springfield jumped out to a 7-0 lead. The visitors fought back for a 15-14 score, on a kill by Kantushov. The score stayed close until 19-19 when the home team went on a quick 4-0 run to push ahead of the Highlanders, 23-19. Springfield ended the match scoring the final two points of the set, 25-20.
The result left Springfield at 5-13 overall and the Highlanders with a 3-9 record.
Next match for the Highlanders is Saturday at 5pm when NJIT hosts Grand Canyon at the Fleisher Athletic Center. Saturday will be men's volleyball Alumni Day with festivities beginning at 1pm.
