Live Stats Link (Both matches)

NEWARK, NJ--NJIT will open the 2020 season against two teams in the AVCA Division I-II Top-15 poll, participating in the 2020 AVCA Men's Volleyball Showcase hosted by George Mason on January 11-12 at the Recreation Athletic Complex.

NJIT will compete against No. 7 Stanford on January 11 and USC on January 12.  Both times are slated for a 5pm first spike.

The Highlanders were selected fourth to finish in the EIVA Preseason Coaches' Poll.  NJIT, which finished with one first-place vote, was selected fourth in the poll with 44 points, behind defending regular-season and EIVA Tournament Champions Princeton (62), Penn State (53) and George Mason (47). 

NJIT top returnee Alvaro Gimeno, a two-time first team all-EIVA honoree, from Salou, Spain, ranked in the top five in kills per set (3.31) and total kills (285) in the EIVA last season.

He ranked second in service aces per set (0.44), which ranked 13th in the nation and 12th in hitting percentage (.261).  The outside hitter earned AVCA National Player of the Week on April 8. 

Stanford (2-1) continues its East Coast road swing at the AVCA Showcase after suffering its first loss of the season, a five-set thriller at Saint Francis (PA) on January 8.  The Cardinal was picked by the MPSF coaches to finish third in the league in 2020 after finishing the 2019 season with a 15-11 overall mark.

USC  is 3-0 against NJIT, including last season's 3-1 victory in the Rainbow Warrior Classic in Hawaii.  The Trojans are 1-0 on the young season, defeating Princeton, from the EIVA in five sets on January 2.