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Highlights at George Mason
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA--George Mason, the third seed in the 2021 EIVA Conference Postseason Tournament swept second-seeded NJIT, 3-0, in the first match of the EIVA semifinals hosted by Penn State inside Rec Hall.
No. 13 George Mason swept the Highlanders in straight sets -- 32-30, 25-15 and 25-23, advancing to the EIVA finals on Saturday, April 24 at 7pm.
With the win, George Mason improves to 15-6 overall while No. 11 NJIT concludes its impressive 2021 campaign with a 13-6 mark.
George Mason's Hayden Wagner led the match with a match-best 14 kills and added five block assists. Setter Zach Talamoa combined for a double-double with a team-best 28 assists and match-high 10 digs.
NJIT's Alvaro Gimeno, an EIVA first-team selectee paced the Highlanders with 12 kills followed by Julian Meissner (9), Martina De Chavarria (7) and Jens Feldthus (7). De Chavarria, a second-team EIVA honoree, combined for a .778 hitting percentage to go along with three block assists.
Redshirt junior Zachary Hresko led the match with 32 assists while libero Joe Kennedy and Feldthus paced the Highlanders with nine digs. Gimeno and Luca Berger, who ranks in the top-12 in the nation in block per set, combined for five block assists apiece.
In a thrilling first set, which saw 13 ties and six lead changes, George Mason came out on top after closing out the set on a 4-1 run, securing the 32-30 victory to earn a 1-0 lead.
George Mason hit an impressive .407 in the second frame and went up 2-0 after a 25-15 victory.
The third frame, which saw both teams trade points, saw 17 ties and seven lead changes. NJIT, which hit .345, used a late 4-0 spurt, giving the Highlanders a 20-18 advantage. The Patriots finished off the frame on a 6-2 run to secure the set, 25-23, and sweep the match 3-0.
NJIT Season Notes
--Seventh-year head coach Danny Goncalves was named 2021 Bob Sweeny EIVA Coach of the year
--14 Highlanders were named to the 2021 EIVA All-Academic Team
--Six Highlanders were selected to the 2021 EIVA All-Conference Team (three first team; two second-team; one honorable mention)
--The 13 wins are the most wins for NJIT since the 2017
--Second place finish in the EIVA (13-3)
--NJIT made its first appearance in program history in the NVA/AVCA top-10 on March 29, 2021 at the No. 10
--Goncalves' squad broke into the National Volleyball Association (NVA)/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I-II Men's Coaches top-15 poll after splitting a weekend EIVA series with then-ranked No. 11 Penn State on February 14.
--The 11-3 start was the best since 2007, when the Highlanders went 10-4 and the nine consecutive victories is the most in a row since 2017.
--The 2021 season marks the first time the Highlanders are making an appearance in the EIVA Tournament since 2008.
