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Highlights vs. #11 Loyola Chicago

CHICAGO—Visiting NJIT played three tight sets at No. 11 Loyola Chicago, led by senior Jabarry Goodridge's match-best 13 kills, but the Ramblers combined for a .354 hitting percentage and went on to sweep the Highlanders, 3-0, at Gentile Arena.

Loyola Chicago (1-1), ranked No. 11 in the 2017 AVCA Preseason Poll and selected to finish third in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Preseason Poll, swept visiting NJIT, 25-19, 25-23 and 25-20.

The Ramblers were led by junior Ricky Gevis with 12 kills.  Gevis, who received points in the Off the Block/Springbak All-America voting, finished with a .667 hitting percentage on 18 swings and no errors.

Junior Jeff Jendryk, who was named to the Off the Block/Springbak Preseason All-America first-team, combined for 10 kills on 22 attempts for a .364 hitting percentage.  Jendryk paced the Ramblers with four total blocks (1 solo, 3 assists).  

The Ramblers setter, Ian Cowen, led the match with 33 assists, including three digs and two block assists.  Will Tischler was the match-leader with seven digs.

NJIT's Goodridge, who was named to the 2017 Off the Block Preseason All-American  second-team and selected to the Preseason Watch List for the Karch Kiraly Award for outside hitters, led the match with 13 kills.

Redshirt junior Raymond Kowalski recorded nine kills, including a team-best three service aces while adding five digs. 

Freshman Luke Allmond, a middle hitter from Rockledge, FL, made his collegiate debut, combining for an .800 hitting percentage with four kills on eight swings.

Sophomore setter Ricardo Whitaker piled up 28 assists and added six digs, which shared team-high honors with libero Shannon Heckman.

In front of the net, redshirt senior middle Luke Robbe led the match with five total blocks (all assists) followed by three assists from Whitaker.

The visitors jumped out to a quick 5-2 advantage in the opening set, but Loyola Chicago used an 8-1 spurt, taking a 10-6 lead.  The Ramblers pushed its lead to 23-15 but the Highlanders rallied back, closing the gap to within five, 19-24. Gevis would score the final point of the set for a 25-19 victory.

Loyola Chicago took advantage of Highlander hitting errors early in the second frame, taking a 6-2 lead.  The advantage grew to 14-9, before the Highlanders rallied back scoring six of the next seven points, knotting the set at 15 on a kill by Robbe.

The teams traded points and the set saw five more ties, the final at 21 on a service ace by Kowalski, resulting in a Rambler timeout.  The home team scored three consecutive points for a 24-21 lead, as Highlanders head coach Danny Goncalves called timeout to regroup his team. 

Out of the timeout, NJIT notched back-to-back kills from Whitaker and Goodridge, pulling within one, 23-24, but the Ramblers put the set away with a kill by Collin Mahan for a 25-23 victory.

In the third set, Loyola Chicago came out on fire, taking a 13-8 advantage and pushed its lead to 17-9.  NJIT, down but not out, used a late 9-3 run, sparked by block assists by Robbe and Whitaker, pulling the Highlanders within two, 18-20, after a kill by newcomer Piotr Namiotko.

Loyola Chicago scored three straight points, pushing its lead back to five, 23-19, and would hold on for the teams' first win of the 2017 season, 25-20.

NJIT will return to action on Saturday at 8pm (ET) when the Highlanders visit No. 6 Lewis.