​NEWARK, NJ — NJIT defeated St. Thomas Aquinas College, 3-1, in non-conference men's volleyball action Sunday at the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center.

The Highlanders improved to 11-6 overall and remained perfect at home (8-0), defeating the Spartans 25-16, 21-25, 27-25, 25-18. NJIT closed the match hitting .400 in the fourth set.

Setter Bruno Figueiredo paced the offense with 41 assists and added nine digs.

Offensively, Andre Aleixo led the Highlanders with 14 kills, while Wiktor Nowak recorded 13 kills and two service aces. Gustavo Chrcanovic contributed eight kills and five total blocks.

NJIT controlled the opening set, jumping out to an 8-4 lead and extending the margin to 22-12 before securing a 25-16 win.

St. Thomas Aquinas responded in the second set. After the teams were tied 11-11, the Spartans used a 3-0 run to take a 14-11 lead and held off a late NJIT push to even the match with a 25-21 victory.

The third set proved pivotal as the teams battled through multiple ties. NJIT surged ahead with a 7-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back aces from Nowak, to take an 11-5 advantage. The Spartans fought back to tie the set at 20-20 and later 24-24, even holding set point at 25-24. The Highlanders responded with three straight points to claim the set 27-25 and a 2-1 match lead.

NJIT carried the momentum into the fourth set, building a 7-4 lead and later extending the advantage to 15-10 behind key kills from Daniel Latkowski. A 5-1 run pushed the Highlanders ahead 20-13, and NJIT closed out the match 25-18.

Next Up
NJIT returns to action Friday when the Highlanders host Dominican New York at 6 p.m.

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