April 15, 2006

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, MA - New Jersey Institute of Technology forced its way into the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association postseason playoffs with a 3-0 road sweep of playoff contender Harvard Saturday afternoon on the last day of the regular season.

The Highlanders, who have had their collective backs to the wall since opening EIVA Hay Division play at 0-3, defeated Harvard, 30-21, 30-24 and 30-22. NJIT finishes with an 8-4 EIVA Hay Division record, having gone 8-1 in its last nine division matches. The Highlanders are 13-12 overall, while Harvard finishes its season at 10-12 overall and 7-5 in the EIVA Hay Division.

NJIT will open postseason play at Princeton of the higher power-rated EIVA Tait Division on Wednesday. This will be the Highlanders' first postseason play since 2000, when they reached the EIVA semifinals. NJIT's 13 wins are also its high mark since 2000, when it finished 16-12.

NJIT's task was clear entering the weekend, but the Highlanders needed some help to claim the EIVA's eighth and final postseason spot in the tightly-bunched Hay Division. East Stroudsburg, which accounted for NJIT's first two divisional losses, had already clinched the Hay Division title. After that, the Highlanders were one of four teams vying for the final playoff berth heading into the final weekend.

First, they had to win at Springfield on Friday night, which they did, taking a 3-0 decision, which left the Pride at 8-4. Then, the Highlanders had to beat Harvard on Saturday and hope that East Stroudsburg would beat New Haven. NJIT took Harvard, leaving the Highlanders at 8-4 and the Crimson at 7-5. At the same time, East Stroudsburg won at New Haven, 3-2, leaving New Haven with a 7-5 division record.

NJIT and Springfield each finished with 8-4 EIVA Hay Division records, but the Highlanders continue to postseason for having taken both head-to-head matchups against Springfield.

On Saturday, Leonardo Paludo's match-high 16 kills paced the Highlander attack, followed closely by Eduardo Welter, who had 13 kills. Welter, who had been nursing an injury, but returned this weekend with a stellar effort, nailed 4 service aces and led the defense with 10 digs. Senior Brian Como had 5 blocks (2 solo, 3 assists), while Greg Wagner had 4 blocks assists. Wagner also had 8 kills and just one error in 12 attacks for a .583 hitting percentage. Rodrigo Correa collected 40 assists.

Seamus McKiernan had 15 kills and Dave Fitz had 32 assists for Harvard, which lost all three meetings against NJIT this year. The Highlanders beat Harvard, 3-1, early in the season at Rutgers-Newark's Golden Dome Classic and then took the Crimson by identical 3-0 scores in EIVA Hay Division play.