NJIT Sweeps No. 11 Purdue Fort Wayne

Published: Friday, January 24, 2020
Feldthus and Gimeno Combine for 24 Kills

NJIT combined for a .452 hitting percentage behind Jens Feldthus and Alvaro Gimeno who combined for 24 kills and 14 digs in the Highlanders' 3-0 sweep over No. 11 Purdue Fort Wayne in non-conference men's volleyball action at NJIT's Wellness and Events Center Thursday evening.

NJIT (3-2) picked up its second win over a ranked team this season (defeated No. 12 USC; 3-0 on January 11), sweeping the Mastodons in straight sets 27-25, 25-19 and 25-22.

Feldthus led the match with 13 kills on 20 attempts for a .600 hitting percentage while Gimeno registered 11 kills on 17 attempts with three errors for a .471 hitting percentage.  The duo combined for 14 digs as the Highlanders led the defensive category, 26-19.

Middle blocker Luca Berger recorded six total blocks (one solo; five assists) including seven kills on 11 swings for a .545 hitting percentage.  Newcomers Julian Meissner and Martin de Chavarria recorded five block assists each while sophomore setter Roque Nido piled up a match-best 36 assists.

NJIT had an advantage in the service ace category, 4-1, led by Gimeo and Feldthus with two apiece.

Purdue Fort Wayne was paced by a team-best 11 kills from Pelegrin Vargas.  Two Mastodons split time at the setting position -- Frederico Santos and Sean Califf, registering 18 and 10 respectively. 

Purdue Fort Wayne jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, as the Highlanders rallied to take its first lead of the set, 6-5, after a kill by Julian Meissner.  Both teams traded points through the mid-teens with the Mastodons, pushing ahead by three, 17-14, resulting in an NJIT timeout. The home team used a 6-1 spurt, capped by block assists by Martin de Chavarria and Meissner for a 20-18 advantage.  The set saw three more ties, the final at 25-all as NJIT, scored the final two points of the set for a 27-25 victory.

NJIT continued its momentum into the second set, hitting an impressive .571 (12k, 0e, 21a).  The Highlanders took an 8-5 lead after three straight capped by a block solo from Luca Berger.  Midway through the frame, NJIT extended its lead to 17-14 and took its biggest lead of the set, 22-16 on a service ace by Alvaro Gimeno.  The Highlanders closed out the set on a 3-2 run, securing the 25-19 victory.

Purdue Fort Wayne took control early in the third set, 3-1 and 6-4.  NJIT fought back, knotting the set a 10-all and took its first lead of the frame, 12-11, on a block assist by Feldthus and De Chavarria.  After five ties, NJIT broke the 18-all tie on a kill by Feldthus but the Mastodons did not go away, as the visitors regained the lead, 21-20. NJIT closed out the match, scoring the next five-out-of-six points for a 25-22 victory to earn the 3-0 sweep.