Men's Volleyball | 1/8/2016 7:33:00 AM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

SANTA BARBARA, CA—The NJIT men's volleyball team opened its 2016 in California Friday in the 2016 Asics Invitational, hosted by UC Santa Barbara, which is ranked #9 in the current American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national Division I-II poll and California Baptist.

In the first meeting between NJIT and Cal Baptist Friday morning, the Lancers recorded a 3-1 victory (25-23, 25-16, 21-25, 25-15) while in the nightcap the Gauchos' swept the visiting Highlanders, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 20-17).

Match One
No statistics available

Match Two
Redshirt senior and team captain TJ Jurko, who was All-EIVA second team as a freshman and EIVA All-Academic each of the last two seasons, paced the Highlanders with 10 kills and 5 digs. 

Kevin Myren, a redshirt freshmen, made his Highlander debut Friday, recording 5 kills on 12 attempts with one error for a .333 hitting percentage.  NJIT's Luke Robbe and Raymond Kowalski each added four kills apiece.  Robbe, a redshirt junior, standing at 6-foot-8, finished the match hitting .500 (4k, 1e, 6a).

Sophomore setter Cameron Tait piled up a team-best 23 assists while Jurko led the Highlanders defense with 5 digs followed by Tait (4) and freshman libero Chris Wise (4).

In front of the net, Myren, standing a 6-foot-5, combined for three total blocks (1 solo, 2 assists) while Robbe, Kowalski and Tait recorded one block assist apiece.

UC Santa Barbara was led by redshirt junior opposite Matt Marsh's match-best 16 kills on 22 swings with three errors for an impressive .591 hitting percentage.

Senior Jonah Seif, an AVCA second-team All-American setter, piled up a match-best 32 assists to go along with four digs and three block assists.

Marsh led the Guachos defensively with 7 digs while Connor Drake recorded 5 block assists for the home team.

NJIT will conclude the 2016 Asics Invitational on Saturday, facing Cal State Northridge at 1 pm (PST), before returning home to Newark.  Cal State Northridge comes into the game 3-0, with victories over Charleston (WV) and Sacred Heart of the EIVA and Lindenwood.