NEWARK, NJ—NJIT secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Manhattan on Saturday in men's volleyball non-conference action at the Joel and Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

NJIT's (10-5, 4-0 EIVA) efficient attack in the decisive fifth set, featuring an attack percentage of .412, played a crucial role in clinching the win.

The Highlanders won 25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 18-25 and 15-11.  

In the decisive set, NJIT started with a strong offensive surge that pushed the score to 6-1.  The Highlanders stayed in control with contributions from Parker Moorhead and service pressure that included aces from Nowak and Moorhead, extending the lead to 12-4. Despite a brief rally from Manhattan, NJIT's consistent attack, highlighted by a kill from Latkowski, kept the opposition at bay.  The set concluded with NJIT capitalizing on a service error from the Jaspers and another kill by Nowak, securing a 15-11 victory for the set. 

Latkowski led NJIT with 14 kills on 18 attempts, contributing 18 points. Figueiredo recorded 51 assists and added one block assist. Aleixo tallied 13 kills and five total blocks, finishing with 17 points. Heins added to the defensive front with four total blocks while contributing 11 kills on 16 swings.

NJIT began the first set taking an early lead with a kill by Andre Aleixo and pulled ahead with a string of points, including a service ace by Daniel Latkowski, extending the lead to 10-6. Manhattan fought back to level the score at 20-20, highlighted by a service ace from Drew Blonski. NJIT responded with a strong finish, as Aleixo delivered two crucial kills, and a block by Alex Heins and Aleixo which secured the final point for a 25-20 victory. 

NJIT opened the second set with a strong start, featuring an early kill from Aleixo. Despite an initial scoring exchange, NJIT gained momentum with kills from Latkowski and Heins as the team maintained a slim lead throughout the set.  NJIT continued to apply pressure, highlighted by a decisive kill from Heins. Although Manhattan attempted a late rally, NJIT closed out the set with a kill from Harrison Girard, securing a 25-21 set victory.

NJIT began the third set with a strong start, taking an early 2-0 lead.  Midway through the set, the home team gained momentum with a series of errors from the Manhattan side, allowing NJIT to extend its lead to 19-15. The Jaspers responded with a run of their own, tying the score at 20-20. A service error allowed Manhattan to reach match point, and a block by Jaspers Jovan Marjanovic sealed the set for the Jaspers with a 25-23 victory.

The home team entered the fourth set looking to shift momentum after trailing. The team responded early with a kill from Latkowski and later followed up with another by Ian Nguyen, narrowing the gap, 14-12. Manhattan scored the final three out of four points, securing a 25-18 victory for the visitors and knotting the game at 2-2.

Next Up
NJIT will return to action on February 27 when the Highlanders visit George Mason.  First spike set for 6pm.

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