VIDEO: NJIT Highlights vs. CSUN
VIDEO: NJIT Post Game with ESPN+ Ira Thor and head coach Danny Goncalves
NEWARK, NJ–Visiting No. 15 CSUN edged NJIT, 3-2, in a five-set thriller Friday evening in non-conference action inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
CSUN won the first set, 25-19, but NJIT rallied back to go ahead, 2-1, taking the second and third set by identical scores, 25-22. CSUN forced a fifth and deciding set with a 28-26 victory in the fourth frame and went on to earn the 3-2 win with a 17-15 victory in the final frame.
CSUN, winners of three in a row, improve to 7-5 on the season while the Highlanders move to an even 5-5 on the young season.
NJIT had four players reach double-digit kills on Friday – Jens Feldthus (12), Alessandro Negri (12), Josh Gregg (10) and Martin de Chavarria (10). De Chavarria finished the match with a .368 hitting percentage on 19 attempts with just three errors while middle Carson Williams combined for seven kills for a .500 hitting percentage with 12 swings and just one error.
Graduate student Roque Nido piled up 47 assists, five digs and two block assists. Libero Christian Trevino recorded nine digs followed by Gregg (7) and Nido, Negri and Feldthus with five apiece.
CSUN was led by a match-best 17 kills from Kyle Hobus, reigning Big West Player of the Week Griffin Walters (14) and Lorenzo Bertozzi (10). Setter Donovan Constable paced the match with 53 assists and libero Taylan Cook recorded nine digs.
NJIT as a team held a 9.0-to-5.5 team blocking advantage paced by Williams (4 block assists), Feldthus (4 block assists) and de Chavarria (4 block assists).
Feldthus registered two service aces, including his 100th career service ace in the second set.
CSUN took the first set, hitting an impressive .480 on 15 kills on 25 attempts and just three errors led by Lorenzo Bertozzi with five kills. NJIT's Josh Gregg led the Highlanders with four kills while Roque Nido added seven assists.
NJIT evened the match at 1-1 in the second frame, hitting .333 and taking an early 9-5 lead, resulting in a CSUN timeout. NJIT maintained at least a four-point lead midway through the set and led 22-19 after back-to-back kills from Alessandro Negri and Josh Gregg. CSUN pulled within two, 24-22, but NJIT's Martin de Chavarria put down a kill to earn a 25-22 victory and even the score.
The Highlanders came out on fire in the third frame and jumped ahead 11-7 and extended its lead to 16-9 capped on a service ace by Carson Williams. CSUN rallied back and cut the Highlander lead to two, 20-18 and knotted the set at 21-all. NJIT finished off the frame on a 4-1 run to earn the 25-22 victory and go ahead, 2-1.
In the fourth frame, neither team led by more than three all the way until the early 20's, saw the Highlanders with three match points, the final at 24-23. CSUN would use a 4-2 run to come-from-behind and force a fifth set with a 28-26 victory.
The fifth and deciding frame, both teams traded points until 8-8 when the Highlanders scored two consecutive points for a 10-8 lead, resulting in a CSUN timeout. NJIT would extend its lead to 12-9 as CSUN would take its second timeout of the frame. The Matadors slimmed the Highlander lead to as many as one, 13-12, and tied the set at 13-all. NJIT had set point twice, 14-13 and 15-14 after a kill by Feldthus but CSUN scored the final three points of the match for a 17-15 victory.
Due to COVID-19 related issues within the George Mason men's volleyball program the match scheduled for Sunday, February 12 between the Highlanders and the Patriots has been postponed.
The two teams will make up the conference match on Tuesday, March 21 at 6pm.
NJIT will return to action on February 17-18 when the Highlanders visit #2 Long Beach State. The match on February 17 is slated for 7pm (PT)/(10pm ET) start and February 18 is slated for a 7:30pm (PT)/10:30pm (ET) first spike on ESPN+.
The Highlanders will be back home in Newark on February 24-25 on Alumni Weekend, welcoming No. 3 Penn State inside NJIT's Wellness and Events Center.
