VIDEO: NJIT Highlights vs. Loyola Chicago
VIDEO: Post Game Interview with ESPN+ Ira Thor and Head Coach Danny Goncalves
NEWARK, NJ–Visiting No. 11 Loyola Chicago swept NJIT in tight sets, 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-19) to earn the non-conference win Friday evening inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
Loyola Chicago winners of four in a row improve to 4-0 on the young season while the Highlanders move to 2-3 on the season.
The Ramblers' Cole Schlothauer led all players with 11 kills followed by Colton Brooks (7) and Parker Van Buren (6). Brooks finished the match with a .455 hitting percentage while Schlothauer hit .400.
Jimmy Meinhart and Nicodemus Meyer led the match with five block assists each as the Ramblers held a 10-to-4 advantage in front of the net. Libero Matt Oakley shared match-high honors with NJIT's Julian Meissner with six digs.
For NJIT, Meisser paced the Highlanders with 10 kills while sophomore Antonio Feliciano combined for a career-best nine kills for a .350 hitting percentage to go along with three digs.
Senior middle Martin de Chavarria combined for four total blocks (one solo, three assists) and added three kills. Setter Griffin Fieseler piled up 16 assists, two digs and two block assists.
In the first set, Loyola Chicago jumped out to a quick 9-4 run and extended its lead to 12-5 after a short 3-1 run, resulting in an NJIT timeout. NJIT answered with a run of their own, cutting the deficit to two, 13-11, on four straight points by the Highlanders, capped by three consecutive kills. The Ramblers would leave by as many as three through the mid-teens and pushed its lead to five, 22-17, and closed out the set on a 3-1 spurt to take the first frame, 25-21.
The second frame was played close throughout with neither team leading by more than four points. The Highlanders scored two straight points in the early 20's, pulling within two of the Ramblers, 20-19, after an ace by Alessandro Negri and a Loyola Chicago error but the visitors would score the final five points of the match to record a 25-19 victory and push ahead 2-0.
Loyola Chicago took control of the third frame, 14-9 and never looked back, combining for a .429 hitting percentage, led by five kills from Schlothauer. The Ramblers secured the 3-0 win with a 25-19 victory in the third frame.
NJIT will be back in action at home on Saturday at 2pm, welcoming St. Francis Brooklyn. The game will be streamed live for free on America East TV with in-game statistics available on NJITHighlanders.com.
