UNIVERSITY PARK, PA– Sophomore Alessandro Negri recorded a match-best 25 kills, leading the sixth-seeded Highlanders to a thrilling 3-2 victory over third-seeded Charleston (WV) in the first round of the 2023 EIVA Conference Tournament hosted by Penn State inside Rec Hall.
With the win, sixth-seeded NJIT advances to the 2023 EIVA semifinals on Thursday, April 20 at 4:30pm against second-seeded Princeton. The Tigers, the reigning EIVA Conference Champions, won the regular season series from the Highlanders this season. Last season, both teams played in the 2022 EIVA Conference finals.
NJIT started off the match with back-to-back wins in the first and second sets, 25-23 and 25-20. Charleston battled back to force a fifth and deciding set with wins in the third and fourth frames, 25-22 and 25-23.
In the fifth and deciding set, NJIT scored the first point of the frame and took a 9-4 lead, breaking away behind a 7-1 spurt. Charleston responded with a 4-1 run, cutting the Highlander lead to as many as two, 10-8 and pulled within one, 11-10. NJIT went on a 4-1 run to close out the set and secure 3-2 victory with a 15-11 win.
Negri, named to the 2023 EIVA Conference second team, was one kill shy of his career-best 26 kills (vs. Havard; 4.7.23) in addition to hitting .370 for the match with eight digs and two block assists.
Senior Martin de Chavarria, also a second-team All-EIVA selectee, recorded nine kills on 18 attempts for a .389 hitting percentage with four total blocks.
Setter Griffin Fieseler split time at the setting position with graduate student Roque Nido, piling up 32 assists, six kills and five digs. Nido added 22 assists, five kills, four digs and four total blocks.
Graduate student Jens Feldthus led the Highlanders with three aces, which led the Highlanders to a 5-to-1 advantage in that category.
Both teams went back and forth early in the first set until NJIT rallied off four consecutive points for a 11-9 advantage. The set saw seven more ties, the final at 19-all. Charleston pulled within one of the Highlanders late in the set, 23-22, but NJIT used a 2-1 run to close out the frame with a 25-23 win.
The sixth-seeded Highlanders came out on fire in the second set, 8-3, and extended its lead to as many as four in the early twenties, 20-16, on a kill by Josh Gregg. The Golden Eagles cut the deficit to three, 23-20, but back-to-back kills by NJIT secured a 25-20 win to go ahead 2-0.
Charleston responded in the third frame, jumping out to a 7-3 lead, resulting in a Highlanders timeout. The Golden Eagles pushed it lead to as many as five, 14-9, using a 4-2 spurt. NJIT answered in the mid-teens and scored three out of four points to pull within two of Charleston, 17-15 and later 18-16. The Golden Eagles gained some momentum and scored three straight points to take a five-point lead, 21-16. NJIT, fighting back in the frame, went on a 3-1 spurt, slimming the Golden Eagle lead to as many as three, 23-20. Charleston, with set point at 24-20, saw the Highlanders score back-to-back points, inching their way back, 24-22. The Golden Eagles registered the final point for a 25-22 victory.
NJIT scored the first two points of the fourth frame and used a 7-1 run to take a 14-8. Charleston responded with a run of their own, scoring five consecutive points to close the Highlander gap to within one, 14-13, resulting in a NJIT timeout. Through the mid-teens, neither team led by more than one point and the Golden Eagles down by as many as six, regained its lead and took a one-point lead, 17-16, behind three straight points. After four more ties, Charleston scored three straight points for a two-point advantage, 22-20. NJIT closed the Golden Eagle gap to within one, 23-22, after a 2-1 run and knotted the frame at 23-all on a kill by Jens Feldthus. Charleston scored the final two points of the frame to force a fifth and deciding set with a 25-23 victory.
