NEWARK, NJ–Charleston (WV) was victorious over NJIT in the EIVA five-set thriller, 3-2, Friday night in men's volleyball action inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
The Golden Eagles won its second straight 3-2 victory, improving to 11-11 overall, 2-3 in the EIVA while the Highlanders moved to 8-13 overall, 0-6 in the EIVA.
Charleston (WV) won the first frame, 29-27, after the Highlanders were ahead by as many as five in the set but the home team evened the score at 1-1 with a 25-23 victory in the second set. The Golden Eagles went ahead 2-1 with a 25-23 victory in the third frame but the Highlanders responded and answered with a 25-21 win in the fourth frame, scoring the final four out of five points, forcing a fifth and deciding set.
In the fifth set, Charleston scored four straight points to take an early 8-4 lead. NJIT scored the next three out of four points to cut the Golden Eagles lead to one, 10-9. The Golden Eagles used a run of their own 3-1, including back-to-back points, to go ahead by three, 13-10, resulting in a Highlander timeout. NJIT scored consecutive points to slim the lead to one, 13-12, and a kill by Alessandro Negri closed the gap again to one, 14-13, resulting in Charleston's second timeout of the set. The Golden Eagles scored the final point of the match on a kill by Garrett Schnitker for a 15-13 victory to secure the 3-2 road victory.
Four Highlanders reached double-digit kills Friday, paced by Alessandro Negri with 19 followed by Josh Gregg (16), Antonio Feliciano (15) and Carson Williams (13). The 13 kills for Williams is a new personal-best mark.
NJIT, which hit .367 for the match, was led by Williams (.417), Negri (.405), Feliciano (.393) while Fedmasu finished with six kills on nine attempts for a .556 hitting percentage.
Senior Griffin Fieseler piled up a match-best and career-best 57 assists to go along with five digs, two block assists and two service aces. Feliciano led NJIT with eight digs while in front of the net Williams combined for five total blocks (two solo, three assists).
NJIT and Charleston started off the first set going back and forth in the mid-teens with NJIT taking a five-point lead, 18-13 advantage. The Golden Eagles went on a 5-1 run to pull within one, 19-18, but the home team held a two-point lead, 23-21. The set saw four ties late in the frame with the Golden Eagles scoring the final two points of the set to take a 29-27 victory.
NJIT scored the first two points of the second set and went ahead by two, 5-3. Charleston tied the set at 5-all and went on a 4-1 run for a 8-6 lead. NJIT rallied back in the early teens and used a 4-1 spurt of their own to tie the score at 13-all, resulting in a Golden Eagle timeout. Both teams went back and forth late in the frame with neither team leading by more than one until NJIT scored back-to-back points for a 23-21 lead after a kill by Antonio Feliciano and hitting error by the visitors. Feliciano put down a kill with set point at 24-23 to tie the match at 1-1 with a 25-23 victory.
The Highlanders started off the set on a 4-1 run in the third frame and saw three ties with the final at 7-7. NJIT found themselves ahead by two, 12-10, but the Golden Eagles scored five straight for a 15-12 advantage. NJIT scored back-to-back kills to pull within one, 15-14, resulting in a Golden Eagle timeout. The home team knotted the score at 16-all and took a 17-16 lead on an ace by Josh Gregg. The Golden Eagles used a 4-1 run to push ahead, 22-19, resulting in a Highlander timeout. NJIT tied up the set at 23-all after two straight points but Charleston scored the final two points to take the set, 25-23, for a 2-1 lead.
Charleston went ahead 5-1 to begin the fourth set and pushed ahead 11-7 behind the last three out of four points by the Golden Eagles, resulting in an NJIT timeout. NJIT began a comeback, cutting the Charleston lead to three, on a pair of Highlander kills for a 15-12 score in favor of the Golden Eagles, resulting in a timeout by the visitors. Andrew Fedmasu registered back-to-back aces to pull NJIT within one, 17-16. A kill by Feliciano, an Golden Eagle error and an ace by Griffin Fiesler, NJIT took its first lead of the set, 19-18. NJIT continued its momentum with three straight points for a 21-18 lead. NJIT, ahead by three, 24-21, forced a fifth and deciding set with a 25-21 victory.
The Golden Eagles Garret Schnitker led the match with 21 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and eight digs followed by Max Nissen's 19 kills.
Both teams will return to action on Saturday, March 30 at 2pm inside the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.
Saturday will mark Senior Day for two graduating seniors – Griffin Fieseler and Will Migdal who will be recognized in pregame ceremonies. NJIT will also honor its two graduate students Julian Meissner and Carson Williams.
