Erskine Highlights

NEWARK, NJ—NJIT men's volleyball won its third straight match, sweeping visiting Erskine, 3-0, in non-conference action Wednesday evening at the Wellness and Events Center.

NJIT, winners of its last three matches, moves to 6-15 overall on the season, earning the sweep by a score of 25-20, 27-25 and 25-10.  Erskine drops to 6-13.

The Highlanders were led by sophomore Piotr Namiotko with nine kills followed by Alvaro Gimeno with seven and Luca Berger notching six. 

Berger, the Highlanders middle blocker, combined for a .714 hitting percentage on seven swings and just one error.  The sophomore transfer paced the match in the service ace category (3) as the Highlanders held a 7-for-3 advantage in that category. 

Standing at 6-foot-10, Berger was dominant in front of the net, recording four block assists.

Senior setter Cameron Tait piled up a match-best 27 assists and added four total blocks (one solo, three assists).  Tyler Brandow led the Highlanders defensively with four digs followed by Namitko and Gimeno, who both notched three digs.

Kevin Myren led the match with five total blocks (one solo, four assists) while three different Highlanders – Namiotko, Tait and Berger combined for four blocks apiece.

In the first set, the Highlanders hit an impressive .524, led by Gimeno with five kills.  The set went back-and-forth until the mid-teens, when the Highlanders pushed its lead to five, 20-14, on a service ace by Gimeno.  NJIT scored the final two points of the set and went on to win 25-20.

The second stanza, the closest of the three, saw 11 ties and five lead changes.  After a 14-all tie, the Flying Fleet used a 7-3 spurt to push ahead, 22-17, on a kill by Absalon Williams.  NJIT rallied back and went on a 7-1 run, to regain its lead, 24-23, on a kill by Bailey Mundy.  The set saw two more ties as NJIT scored the final two points on a block assist by Tait and Myren and an ace by Mundy secured the 27-25 victory.

In the third set, NJIT took control early, 7-2 and extended its lead to 15-6, never looking back, holding on for a 25-10 win.

NJIT will return to EIVA Conference action on Friday at 7pm, hosting first-place George Mason at the Wellness and Events Center.  The match will be streamed live on ESPN3.  Links to watch the game can be found on the homepage of NJITHighlanders.com under Upcoming Events or on the NJIT men's volleyball schedule page.