Box Score

NEWARK, NJ—The NJIT men's volleyball team fell 3-1 to visiting Lindenwood Saturday in non-conference men's volleyball action at the Estelle and Zoom Fleisher Athletic Center.

Lindenwood, which opened its 2014 season on Friday at Sacred Heart falling in three straight sets, recorded its first victory of the season Saturday topping NJIT, 25-22, 18-25, 25-20 and 26-24 improving to 1-1 on the season. The Highlanders fall to 1-1 on the young season.

The Lions were led 6-foot-9 junior opposite Colin Hackworth with 11 kills and five total blocks (all assists) and 6-foot-8 senior middle hitter Scott Siwicki with 10 kills and six total blocks (one solo, five assists). Siwicki led the match with a .600 hitting percentage on 18 swings and no errors.

Senior setter Tim Schmidt notched a match-high 35 assists while defensively the Lions were balanced, with four players recording five digs apiece – Schmidt, Michael Adams, Hackworth and libero David Poole, who played in two out of four sets for the visitors.

NJIT (1-1) was paced by redshirt sophomore TJ Jurko's 11 kills while hitting a team-best .364 (11k, 3e, 22a). Juniors Kajetan Borecki and Chris Kaepernick notched 9 and 8 kills, respectively, to go along with a match-high 8 digs apiece.

Setter Zak Robben piled up 35 assists for the Highlanders, while libero Oren Zyndorf added seven digs defensively for NJIT.

In the first set, Lindewood hit an impressive .565 (14 kills, 1 error on 23 attempts) led by Siwicki and Hackworth with four kills apiece. The set remained close through the mid-teens, until the Lions went on a 4-1 spurt for a 21-17 lead after holding a one-point lead after a kill by NJIT's Jurko. The Highlanders battled back, down three, 23-20, scoring two straight points pulling within one, 23-22, after a kill by Borecki. After a timeout for the visitors, Lindenwood's Hackworth responded with a kill and then he, Tim Huizinga, and Siwicki combined on a triple block to seal a 25-22 victory.

NJIT jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the second set and later went up by 10, 19-9, on a Lion error midway through the frame. Lindenwood came as close as five (18-23), but a kill by Jurko and a Lion error gave NJIT the second frame, 25-18.

Lindenwood controlled the third frame early, 7-3, forcing Highlander coach Ryan McNeil to call time out to regroup his squad. NJIT pulled within one of the Lions, 10-9, after a kill by Kaepernick, but the Lions scored four consecutive points for a 14-9 advantage. Late in the set, the Highlanders surged back, closing the gap to within three, 20-17, but the Lions answered with a 3-1 run for a 23-18 lead and closed out the frame with a 25-20 victory.

The final saw 10 ties – the last at 24 after a kill by NJIT's Jurko. Lindewood secured the match with a kill by Logan Jarus and a block solo by Adams for a 26-24 victory. Siwicki led the frame with four kills.

NJIT will return to action on January 30 when the Highlanders host Barton in the Fleisher Athletic Center.