NORTHRIDGE, CA–The NJIT men's volleyball team picked up a straight set 3-0 victory at Cal State Northridge in non-conference men's volleyball action inside the Matadome.
NJIT, winners of the last seven-out-of-nine matches, won in straight sets – 25-22, 31-29 and 25-22, improving to 9-4 overall on the season. Cal State Northridge suffered its first home loss inside the Matadome, moving to 5-4 on the season.
The win on Thursday marked the first all-time win for the Highlanders over the Matadors. The two teams last met in 2018 at the UCSB Asics Invitational with the Matadors claiming a 25-20, 25-15, 26-24 victory. CSUN has played NJIT twice at home in 2016 and 2007, winning in straight sets each time.
Redshirt junior Jens Feldthus paced NJIT with 12 kills on 19 swings with just three errors for an impressive .474 hitting percentage. Julian Meissner recorded double-digit kills, combining for 11 kills on 24 swings with just three errors for a .333 hitting percentage.
Senior middle Martin de Chavarria, who currently ranks fifth in the nation in blocks per set, recorded six kills on eight attempts with two errors for a .500 hitting percentage, including a match-best five total blocks (three solo, two assists).
NJIT setter Griffin Fieseler posted a match-best 36 assists and five digs while Feldthus led the Highlanders defensively with six digs followed by Fieseler (5), Meissner (5), Joe Kennedy (4) and Alessandro Negri (4).
In addition to De Chavarria, Carson Williams added three total blocks (one solo, two assists) in the win.
CSUN was led by a match best 13 kills from Daniel Wetter followed by Kyle Hobus with 10 kills. Setter Donovan Constable recorded 33 assists and Griffin Walters combined for six digs, four kills and two block assists.
After scoring the first point of the set, NJIT regained the lead at 14-13 on a block solo by Martin de Chavarria, resulting in a timeout by Cal State Northridge. NJIT took a three-point advantage, 22-19, its biggest lead of the set, behind a 3-1 spurt for the visiting Highlanders. Julian Meissner recorded the final point of the set with a kill, recording the Highlanders first set victory over CSUN, 25-22.
NJIT took control midway through the second set, winning six of the last seven points for a 12-8 lead, resulting in a CSUN timeout. CSUN down 16-11used a 9-3 run into the late teens, taking a one-point lead, 20-19. Both teams traded points late in the set and Alessandro Negri put the Highlanders ahead 2-0 with a service ace to secure the extra point victory, 31-29.
Trailing 2-0, CSUN took its biggest lead of the match 12-7 in the third frame, scoring five out of six points in the run, resulting in an NJIT timeout. NJIT rallied back, cutting the deficit to one, 14-13, scoring the last six out of eight points after a CSUN attacking error. Tied at 16-16, NJIT went ahead 19-17, behind back-to-back kills by Jens Feldthus. NJIT scored three consecutive points to take a 22-19 lead and secured the 3-0 straight set road victory with a 25-22 victory.
NJIT will return to action and visit No. 2 Long Beach State on Friday at 7pm (PT)/10pm(ET). Fans are able to follow the match on live stats only.
