CAMBRIDGE, MA–Sophomore Andrew Fedmasu combined for an impressive .789 hitting percentage to go along with a career-best 16 kills to lead NJIT in a five-set thriller at Harvard Friday evening in EIVA Conference men's volleyball action inside Malkin Athletic Center.
NJIT, winners of the last two out of three matches, picks up its second EIVA Conference victory moving to 10-14 overall, 2-7 in the EIVA while Harvard moves to 11-11 overall, 3-6 in the EIVA.
NJIT took the first set 25-23 but the home team won the next two frames, 26-24 and 25-21 to take a 2-1 advantage. Visiting NJIT evened the match at 2-2 with a 27-25 victory in the fourth frame to force a fifth and deciding frame.
Harvard took control early in the fifth set, taking a 4-1 lead, resulting in an NJIT timeout. The Highlanders inched their way back, knotting the frame at 7-7 on a quick 2-0 run. Three straight points by the Highlanders, NJIT took a one-point lead, 10-9, after three consecutive points, capped by a kill by Andrew Fedmasu, resulting in a Harvard timeout. NJIT secured the fifth set, scoring the final four out of five points to secure the 3-2 road victory with a 15-11 victory.
In addition to Fedmasu's career-best 16 kills, graduate student Carson Williams led the match with 18 kills (a new career-best) and Alessandro Negri, who registered a double-double of 13 kills and 10 digs for the Highlanders.
Senior setter Griffin Fieseler piled up 55 assists, five digs, two kills and two total blocks in NJIT's road victory.
NJIT held a 9-to-4 advantage in the service category paced by Fedmasu (3), Williams (2), Will Migdal (2).
In the first frame, both teams went back and forth early with neither team leading by more than two when the Highlanders went ahead by three, 14-11. Harvard rallied back and knotted the set at 15-all. The set saw more five ties, the final at 21-all and the Highlanders scored four straight points, taking a one-point lead, 23-21. Harvard cut the lead to one, twice in the early 20's, 23-22 and 24-23, resulting in a NJIT timeout. NJIT's Andrew Fedmasu scored the final point of the set with a kill to take the first set, 25-23.
Harvard evened the score at 1-1 with a 26-24 victory in the second frame behind a .321 hitting percentage.
The visiting Crimson jumped out to a 9-5 lead and extended its lead to three, 17-14, behind a 3-1 spurt. NJIT scored two straight in the mid-teens and cut the deficit to one, 17-16, capped by an ace by Fedmasu. Harvard pushed its lead to four, 21-17, behind a 4-1 run and the Highlanders cut the lead to three, 24-21, before Harvard took the set, 25-21, and went ahead, 2-1.
Visiting NJIT evened the score at 2-2 with a 27-25 victory in the fourth frame, forcing a fifth and deciding frame. After an 11-11 tie, NJIT went on a 7-3 run, capped by an ace from Will Migdal resulting in a Harvard timeout for a 18-14 advantage. Harvard scored three straight points late in the frame, resulting in a Highlander timeout as the Crimson slimmed the Highlander deficit to two, 21-19. Tied at 25-all, NJIT scored back-to-back points, including a triple block by Griffin Fieseler, Antonio Feliciano and Fedmasu to combine for a 27-25 victory and tie up the match at 2-2.
The two teams will close out the 2024 regular season on Saturday at 5pm. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
All six teams advance to the 2024 EIVA Conference Tournament to be played at Penn State. More information regarding the tournament will be posted on NJITHighlanders.com and social media next week.
