NEWARK, NJ—Sophomore outside hitter Alvaro Gimeno notched a match-high 13 kills for NJIT but it wasn't enough as No. 7 Lewis swept the Highlanders, 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-18), in three close sets in non-conference men's volleyball action at the Wellness and Events Center.
 
Lewis, which climbed up to No. 7 in the latest AVCA Division I-II Top 15 Coaches Poll (ranked No. 10 last week),  won its ninth straight match of the season, improving to 16-4 on the season while the Highlanders who hung tough with the visiting Flyers, move to 4-12 on the season.

NJIT started off the 2019 season with a challenging schedule, facing Purdue Fort Wayne (No. 13), Ball State (No. 15), Hawaii (No. 2), USC (No.10) and George Mason (No. 14).
 
Gimeno, the 2018 EIVA Newcomer of the Year, paced the match with 13 kills while adding five digs for the home team.  Piotr Namiotko and Enrique de Diego Garcia followed with six and five kills respectively.  De Diego Garcia, the Highlanders middle, combined for a .440 hitting percentage, collecting five kills on 10 swings with just one error.
 
Highlander freshman setter Roque Nido piled up 26 assists while senior libero Chris Wise led the match with nine digs.  In front of the net, reigning EIVA Defensive Player of the Week Luca Berger and Namiotko each combined for three block assists and while Berger notched two service aces.
 
The Flyers were led by Ryan Coenen with 11 kills while Matt Yoshimoto finished with a match-high 30 assists.
 
Lewis scored the opening two points of the first set for an early 2-0 lead.  NJIT answered knotting the score at 4-4 and took its first lead of the game, 6-4, after a kill by Luca Berger.  The set saw five more ties, the final at 12-12, as the visiting Flyers scored three staight points for a 15-15 lead, resulting in a Highlander timeout.  
 
After a pair of points by the Highlanders, Lewis used a 6-2 spurt, extending its lead, 21-16, as head coach Danny Goncalves called for his second timeout of the match to regroup his squad.  Lewis closed out the set on a 5-2 run for a 25-19 victory.  NJIT's Alvaro notched five kills in the set, hitting .333.
 
NJIT scored the first three points of the second frame and extended its lead to 11-6 after four straight points, resulting in a Lewis timeout.  The Flyers rallied back mid-set, using an 10-2 run, to take its first lead of the match, 17-15, after five consecutive points.  NJIT tied the set at 18-18 but the Flyers answered with four straight points for a 22-18 advantage.
 
A 4-1 run by the Highlanders slimmed the visitors lead to within one, 23-22, but the Flyers closed out the set on a quick 2-1 spurt for a 25-23 victory.  NJIT's Alvaro posted eight kills in the set while libero Chris Wise added seven digs.   Enrique de Garcia hit an impressive .444 for the set, producing five kills on nine swings with just one error.
 
Both teams traded points early in the set until 11-9, when the Flyers went on a 5-1 spurt, taking a 15-11 lead.  Lewis extended its lead to 22-16 and scored the final three points of the set to secure the 3-0 sweep with a 25-18 victory.
 
NJIT will return to EIVA Conference action on March 15-16 when the Highlanders visit Charleston (WV).  The match on Friday will begin at 7pm and Saturday at 6pm.