FAIRFAX, VA--Junior outside hitter Alvaro Gimeno led the match with 13 kills but it wasn't enough as No. 7 Stanford earned a 3-1 win over NJIT Friday at the 2020 AVCA Men's Volleyball Showcase hosted by George Mason at the Recreation Athletic Complex in the season opener for the Highlanders.

NJIT (0-1) took the first set, 25-21, after hitting .250 but Stanford (3-1) rallied off the next three sets -- 25-16, 25-14, 25-14, moving to 2-1 on the season.

The Cardinal hit .402 and held NJIT to a .089 clip, out-blocked the Highlanders, 13.0 to 4.0 and held a 29-19 advantage in digs. Stanford went on to close out the match on a 9-0 run.

Gimeno, a two-time EIVA honoree led the Highlanders with 13 kills followed by Julian Meissner with eight in his collegiate debut.  Freshman Martin de Chavarria hit .333, combining for four kills on nine swings and just one error in his debut.

Sophomore setter Roque Nido, an EIVA Honorable mention last season, piled up a team-best 18 assists while Zachary Hresko made his return after sitting out due to injury last season, notching 10 assists.   In his first collegiate match of his career, Joe Kennedy combined for six digs followed by Nido (5) and Jens Feldthus (4).

Stanford junior opposite Jaylen Jasper led the Cardinal offensively with 11 kills on .474 hitting to go with five digs and two blocks. Senior middle blocker Stephen Moye added eight kills on .538 hitting and four blocks.

NJIT wraps up the AVCA Men's Showcase on Saturday at 5pm against No. 12 USC.  The Trojans dropped a 3-0 decision against host George Mason on Friday night.