NEWARK, NJ--NJIT swept visiting Harvard 3-0 behind a .418 team hitting percentage Friday evening, registering the teams second win in EIVA Volleyball action inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
NJIT moves back to the win column, improving to 7-5 overall, 2-3 in the league, paced by reigning EIVA Defensive Player of the Week junior outside hitter Alvaro Gimeno with a team-best 12 kills.
The Highlanders won in straight sets -- 25-22, 25-19 and 25-19.
Gimeno finished the match with a .579 hitting percentage, posting 12 kills, one error and 19 attempts.
Freshman Julian Meissner recorded nine kills, three aces, three block assists and two digs followed by Martin de Chavarria who posted a .700 hitting percentage with eight kills, one error on 10 swings.
Setter Roque Nido piled up a match-best 32 assists, four digs and two block assists. Libero Joe Kennedy led all players with seven digs.
Harvard's Campbell Schoenfeld posted a match-best 14 kills. Matthew Ctvrlik recorded 29 assists and Griffin Schmit led the Crimson with six digs.
NJIT 25, Havard 22 | Set One
NJIT started off the set on fire, jumping out to a 10-3 advantage. Harvard inched their way closer, cutting the Highlander deficit to two late in the set, 24-22, after a 4-1 run for the Crimson. But NJIT's De Chavarria put away the frame with a kill down the middle of the court.
NJIT 25, Havard 19 | Set Two
After 10 ties in the second set, NJIT broke the 13-all tie and used an 8-3 spurt to push ahead, 21-16 and scored the final four out of five points to secure the 25-19 victory.
NJIT 25, Harvard 19 | Set Three
Both teams traded points early in the frame and played tight through the mid-teens. NJIT went on a 4-1 run, taking a 17-14 advantage after an ace by Jens Feldthus. The Crimson scored back-to-back points, slimming the lead back to one, 17-16, but the Highlanders closed out the match on an 8-3 run to secure the 3-0 sweep with a 25-19 win.
NJIT will look for an EIVA weekend sweep and return to action on Saturday at 4pm when the Highlanders host Sacred Heart.
