Box Score
 
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA—Penn State, ranked 12^th in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I-II coaches poll, swept visiting NJIT 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-13) in Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Action Friday night at Recreation Hall.
 
Penn State (9-2, 2-0 EIVA) extended the Nittany Lion win streak to nine consecutive matches headed by redshirt freshman Matt Callaway, who led both squads with 8 kills, while matching a season-high 6 total blocks (including three solo blocks).
 
The Nittany Lions had two players splitting the setting duties Friday – Taylor Hammond (18 assists, 2 sets) and Zack Parik (13 assists, 3 sets).
 
Defensively, Connor Curry led the match with a high of 11 digs while Callaway led the way in front of the net with six total blocks (3 solo, 3 assists) for Penn State.
 
NJIT (4-3, 0-2 EIVA) was paced by sophomore Raphael Anthony with 7 kills ,followed by freshman Jabarry Goodridge with 6 kills.
 
Junior setter Zak Robben piled up 16 assists while libero Oren Zyndorf dug-up a team-high 6 digs for the Highlanders.  Junior Kajetan Borecki led the way for NJIT with 3 total blocks (all assists).
 
Tied early in the first set, 4-4, Penn State's Peter Russell and Nick Goodell teamed up for back-to-back kills followed by an NJIT error to move the home team ahead by three, 7-4.
 
The Highlanders came storming back, using a 4-2 spurt to jump within one, 9-8. Penn State's Goodell and Callaway answered with a pair of consecutive kills to rebuild the lead, 11-8. Looking to spark some momentum, NJIT connected on two kills, in between one from Callaway, pulling within two, 12-10.  The Nittany Lions pulled away on a 10-2 streak to secure a double-digit lead, 20-12 cruising to a 25-15 win in the opening stanza.
 
Trailing by one, 8-7, in the second frame, Penn State's Callaway and Aaron Russell tallied three consecutive kills to spark a 5-0 run that moved the Nittany Lions ahead by four, 12-8.
 
NJIT halted the streak with a kill, but Penn State responded with an 8-2 run to bolster the lead to nine, 20-11. NJIT made one final attempt to settle into a rhythm with a kill, 20-12, but Penn State scored the next five consecutive points to secure a 25-12 win in the second set.
 
In the final frame, the Nittany Lions got out to a hot start using an 11-3 run to take control of the set. NJIT fought back, trimming the lead to seven, 15-8, but using a balanced attack, Penn State took off on a 7-2 run to capture its largest advantage of the stanza, 22-9.  The Nittany Lions notched the 3-0 sweep with a kill by Chris Nugent for a 25-13 victory.
 
NJIT will return to action on Saturday, February 15, when the Highlanders visit EIVA conference opponent Saint Francis U at 6pm.
 
 
Play by play courtesy Penn State Athletic Communications