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VIDEO: Highlights
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA–Third-seeded NJIT defeated sixth-seeded George Mason, 3-1, in the quarterfinals of the EIVA Conference Tournament hosted by Penn State inside Rec Hall Wednesday afternoon.
NJIT (16-10) won the first two sets – 34-32, 25-20 while George Mason forced a fourth set after a 25-21 victory in the third frame. The Highlanders secured the 3-1 victory with a 25-21 win in the fourth frame to advance to the EIVA Conference semifinals on Thursday, April 21 at 4:30pm against second-seeded Harvard.
The last time NJIT recorded a victory in the postseason dates back to the 2008 season when the Highlanders, trailing 0-2 against Princeton, rallied back to defeat the Tigers, 3-2.
NJIT, which finished the match hitting .383 was led by a pair of All-EIVA first-team honorees – Julian Meissner (23 kills) and Alessandro Negri (16 kills). Meissner finished the match hitting .568 with just two errors while Negri combined for a .333 clip.
Senior setter Roque Nido, an All-EIVA second team selectee, piled up 47 assists – one shy of his career-high 48 vs. McKendree (1.17.20).
Meissner led the Highlanders with eight digs followed by Negri (6) and Nido (4) and libero Joe Kennedy.
All-EIVA second team selectee Martin de Chavarria registered nine total blocks (one solo; eight assists). De Chavarria was one block shy of his career-best 10 against George Mason (3.25.22). Nido added six block assists, Jens Feldthus (four total blocks) and Carson Williams (three total blocks).
George Mason (13-15) was led by two players who reached double-digit kills – Jack Bolz (17) and Omar Hoyos (16).
NJIT used a short 5-0 run in the first frame, capped by back-to-back service aces by Julian Meissner for a 9-4 lead. The Highlanders went ahead by 14-8 but George Mason rallied back to cut the deficit to four, 15-11, on a NJIT attack error. George Mason scored seven late points in the set and took its first lead of the set, 22-21. After eight set points, NJIT scored the final two points on a kill by Martin de Chavarria and solo block by Jens Feldthus for a 34-32 victory.
In the second frame, NJIT took a 10-4 advantage and scored four straight points for a 12-7 capped on a kill by Feldthus. NJIT maintained a four-point lead into the late teens, 17-13, as George Mason inched its way back into the set cutting the lead to one, 17-16, behind three straight points from the Patriots. NJIT scored the last seven-out-of-nine points to go ahead 2-0 with a 25-20 victory.
Both teams went back and forth to start the third set with neither team leading by one until George Mason scored three consecutive points in the early teens for a 15-12 lead and extended its lead to 21-16. NJIT scored the last six out of seven points to cut the Patriots lead to one, 22-21. The Patriots closed out the set with a short 3-0 run to register a 25-21 victory.
NJIT jumped out to a 4-0 lead to begin the fourth set and went ahead 6-2. George Mason scored four straight points and knotted the set at 6-6. The frame saw nine more ties the final at 16-16 and NJIT scored the next three points taking a 19-16 lead. NJIT secured the set, scoring the final three points of the fourth set, 25-21, for a 3-1 victory.
