FORT WAYNE, IN—Fort Wayne won its third straight match, sweeping, visiting NJIT, 3-0, in close sets Saturday evening in men's volleyball non-conference action at Gates Sports Center.
Fort Wayne won in straight sets, 25-21, 25-20 and 25-23 improving to 3-8 on the young season while the Highlanders drop to 3-4.
The Mastodons were paced by a team-best 13 kills from Pelegrin Vargas followed by nine kills from Graydon Schroeder, who combined for a .571 hitting percentage on 14 attempts and just one error.
Michael Keegan, the Mastodons setter, piled up a match-best 32 assists while libero Scott McNerney dug-up a match-high 11 digs.
NJIT's senior outside hitter
Jabarry Goodridge led the Highlanders for the second straight night, notching a match-best 17 kills. Goodridge, who produced 15 kills at No. 13 Ball State on Friday evening, has recorded double-digit kills in six-out-of-seven matches this season, including two 20+ kill performances.
Setter
Ricardo Whitaker recorded 25 assists while libero
Shannon Heckman paced the Highlanders with seven digs. Whitaker added six digs for NJIT.
In front of the net, freshman
Bailey Mundy and redshirt sophomore
Kevin Myren each posted three block assists.
In the first frame, the score remained close with neither team leading by more than two, until a 9-9 when the Mastodons used a short 3-1 run, pushing ahead, 12-10. After a 16 all score, Fort Wayne scored four straight points for a 20-16 lead. The Highlanders pulled within three on two occasions, the final at 21-24, on a service error by the home team but a kill by Colton Stone put the first set away.
The second set, which was also played close early on, saw the home team holding an 11-6 lead after three consecutive kills. The Highlanders rallied back scoring three straight points on blocks by Mundy and Myren and attack error by Fort Wayne, resulting in a timeout and NJIT pulling within two, 12-14.
NJIT stayed within two points of the Mastodons until the home team built a six-point lead, 24-18. After two straight points by NJIT, Fort Wayne closed out the set with a 25-20 win.
The Highlanders finished with a .240 hitting percentage in the third set as the frame saw 15 ties and five lead changes, the final tie at 19 all, after a kill by Goodridge.
Fort Wayne scored two straight points, resulting in an NJIT timeout and the Highlanders would pull within one, 20-21, after a kill by Goodridge. The Mastodons went on a 3-1 spurt for a 24-21 advantage as the Highlanders took its final timeout of the set.
NJIT down but not out, scored the next two consecutive points, slimming the lead to within one, 23-24, resulting in a timeout by the home team. Fort Wayne went on to win 25-23 on a Highlander service error.
NJIT will visit neighboring Rutgers-Newark on February 2 at 7pm before opening EIVA Conference action against Penn State on February 10 at 7pm. The game vs. Penn State will be streamed live on ESPN3.
