Box Score
 
CAMBRIDGE, MA—The NJIT men's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-21) decision at Harvard in an EIVA conference match Saturday at the Malkin Athletic Center.
 
Harvard, which was won the last 10 out of 11 matches, hit .393 for the match Saturday, improving to 16-3 overall, 8-2 in the conference, while the Highlanders fall to 10-13 overall and an even 4-4 in the conference.
 
The Crimson were led by three players who recorded double-figures in the kills category.  Matt Jones paced the Crimson with a match-high 14 kills on 26 swings and three errors for a .423 hitting percentage. 
 
Nick Madden followed with a .571 hitting percentage combining for 13 kills on 21 swings and just one error in the match.  The final player for Harvard to post double-digit kills was DJ White with 11 kills.
 
Harvard's Rob Lothman piled up a match-high 33 assists as Chris Gibbons added seven digs on the defense followed by Jones with six.  Jones also notched a match-high four service aces as the home team held an 8-4 advantage.  In front of the net, Will Chambers combined for six block assists.
 
The Highlanders were paced by freshman TJ Jurko's nine kills, with a .316 hitting percentage.  Doug Battersby and Chris Kaepernick each added six kills for NJIT.  Three different Highlanders posted five kills – Kevin Van Oss, Herman Kantushov and freshman Ryan Thomas.  Van Oss hit .571 (5k, 1e, 7a) while Thomas finished .500 (5k, 1e, 8a) for the match.
 
Matthew Lui and Adam Gustafson split time at the setting position as both Highlanders recorded 16 assists.  Libero Brady Smith dug-up a match-high 11 digs while Battersby notched a team-high three service aces.
 
The first frame remained close early in the set (which saw six ties) as the home team only led by one, 14-13, after a service ace by the Crimson.  Harvard would then score the next three points for a 17-13 lead resulting in an NJIT timeout.  With the score 19-16, the Crimson rallied off four straight points stretching its lead to seven, 23-16, on a kill by Matt Jones.  NJIT's Aurel Griesshammer responded with a kill but Harvard finished off the set on a 2-1 run for a 25-18 victory.
 
In the second set, Harvard jumped out to an early 11-3 lead.  The Highlanders answered with five consecutive points, trimming the Crimson lead to three, 11-8, after a kill by Kaepernick.  Harvard stretched its lead to eight, 24-16, on a service error by the Highlanders, resulting in match point.  The Highlanders rallied back scoring the next five points, 24-21, after a service error by Harvard as the Crimson called for a timeout.  Jones answered with a kill for a 25-21 score.
 
Harvard's Madden posted six kills in the final set as the Crimson pulled out a 25-21 victory.  After the Highlanders took its first lead of the set, 14-13, after a kill by Ryan Thomas, Harvard scored the next two points and never looked back the rest of the way.
 
NJIT will return to action on Friday, April 6 at 7pm when the Highlanders host George Mason at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center. 
 
This will be the first meeting of the season for both teams.  Last season, George Mason defeated the Highlanders, 3-1, on January 14.