UC San Diego Box Score

Grand Canyon Box Score
 
PHOENIX, AZ – UC San Diego used a 3-1 closing to claim the deciding fifth set, 15-13, edging NJIT, 3-2, while in the nightcap Grand Canyon defeated NJIT 3-1 Saturday at Grand Canyon University Arena.
 
The match against UC San Diego was close throughout, with NJIT taking the first set, 25-21, before UC San Diego drew even with a 25-21 score of their own in the second frame.  The Tritons took the third set, 26-24 and NJIT stayed alive with a 25-20 victory in the fourth frame.
 
NJIT freshman TJ Jurko led the way with a team-high 15 kills and seven digs.  In Jurko's collegiate debut on Friday against Grand Canyon, the freshman posted 20 kills and nine digs.  Following Jurko was sophomore Herman Kantushov with 14 kills and nine digs while senior Adam Gustafson combined for a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs for the visitors. 
 
Freshman Aurel Griesshammer added eight kills with one error on 22 attempts for a .318 hitting percentage for NJIT.  Griesshammer also added five digs and shared match-high honors with UC San Diego's Brady Sebastian with five total blocks.
 
NJIT setter Matthew Lui was one dig shy a double-double piling up 33 assists, nine digs and five total blocks (four assists and one solo).
 
UC San Diego was paced by a match-high 22 kills, nine digs and four total blocks from Vaun Lennon.  Carl Eberts combined for a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs while Greg Smith added 10 kills on 15 swings with just one error for a .600 hitting percentage.
 
Setter Mike Brunsting notched a match-high 55 assists to go along with 12 digs as Brunsting's shared match-high honors in the digs category with teammate Chase Frishman (12).
 
In the nightcap, Grand Canyon jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a 25-23 win in the first set and 25-19 in the second before the Highlanders won its only set of the match, 25-23, as the Lopes closed out the match, 29-27, in the final frame.
 
Grand Canyon's Ben Ponnet notched a match-high 18 kills while Jordon Tarantino followed with 17 and Chris Lockwood added 12 for the winners.  The Lopes setter Keith Smith posted a match-high 51 assists with eight digs and eight total blocks.  Ryan Mather led Grand Canyon with nine total blocks (one solo, eight assists) as the Lopes held a 16-10 team blocks advantage.
 
For the visitors, Jurko posted his third straight double-digit match with 15 digs and Gustafson posted his second consecutive double-double with 11 kills and 16 digs to go along with four block assists.
 
Lui added 34 assists and libero Brady Smith combined for 14 digs against Grand Canyon.  Griesshammer recorded nine kills and a team-high five total blocks.
 
The Highlanders (0-3) will return to action next week at the Golden Dome Classic hosted by Rutgers-Newark.  NJIT will face Hunter on January 20 at 5pm and host Rutgers-Newark on January 21 at 7pm.