FAIRFAX, VA—George Mason used a strong finish to top NJIT in the first set and then won the next two with more ease, sweeping past the Highlanders, 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-15) in Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) men's volleyball action Thursday night.

The loss leaves NJIT, which won a stretch of six consecutive matches (March 8 to April 1) 7-5 in the EIVA, 8-15 overall.

George Mason earns the sweep of the two-match regular season series, as both teams met in Newark back on March 4, when the Patriots won a thrilling five-set victory.  The Patriots have now won four in a row and move to 7-4 in the EIVA, 13-11 overall.

Redshirt senior opposite Paco Velez shared match-high honors with 11 kills while junior Christian Malias and redshirt freshman Garrett Kollar each added seven kills.  Kollar finished with a .667 attack percentage while senior middle blocker Dom Edgley added 5 kills in 7 attempts with one error for a .571 hitting percentage.

Setter Brian Negron was the match assists leader, collecting 35, and libero Johnny Gomez led the match defensively with 10 digs.

Four Patriots – Edgley, Velez, Malias and Kollar combined for 21 of the teams 24 blocks paced by Kollar's 6 block assists followed by five assists from Edgley, Velez and Malias.

NJIT kills' leader were junior Jabarry Goodridge (11) and TJ Jurko (10).  Sophomore setter Cameron Tait notched 20 assists and middle Luke Robbe paced the Highlanders with 5 total blocks (1 solo, 4 assists).

Libero Shannon Heckman led the Highlanders in digs with six, while three Highlanders Goodridge, Tait and Jurko added four apiece.
 
The opening set was close with four ties, but played tight till the end, with the Highlanders pulling within one, 19-20, on a kill by Goodridge.  After two straight points for the home team, NJIT called a timeout to regroup, as the Patriots took a 22-19 lead. 

The Highlanders would come as close as 22-24, before Radoslav Popov put down a kill for the final point of the set to secure the 25-22 victory.  Goodridge led the set with five kills.

In the second set, which was played closely through the early teens, the Patriots took control on a 5-1 spurt to go ahead 17-12 and later extending to 22-15. George Mason won the second frame, 25-17.

In the clinching third set for the home team, the Patriots jumped out a 3-0 lead and stayed ahead for the remainder of the set, leading by eight points at 17-9.  The Patriots went on to win 25-19.

NJIT will conclude the home portion of its schedule on Saturday at 4pm when the Highlanders host Springfield College on Senior Day.  NJIT seniors TJ Jurko and Raphael Anthony will be honored in pregame ceremonies.