NEWARK, N.J. – The University of Charleston men's volleyball team dropped a two-match conference series at NJIT to close out the regular season at the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness & Events Center.
Game 1
The Basics:
Location: Newark, N.J. (Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness & Events Center)
Score: Charleston 1, NJIT 3 (13-25, 25-17, 27-29, 17-25)
Records: Charleston (13-13, 4-7 EIVA), NJIT (15-8, 6-3 EIVA)
How It Happened:
NJIT controlled the opening set early, jumping out to a 10-6 lead while Charleston struggled to generate offense. The Golden Eagles remained in single digits for much of the set before a late Highlander run extended the advantage to 23-11, closing out the set 25-13.
Charleston responded in the second set with a strong start, using a 4-0 run to take a 5-1 lead and maintaining control throughout. After NJIT cut the deficit to 18-16, the Golden Eagles answered with a decisive 6-0 run, highlighted by strong net play from Pavlin Ivanov, to even the match with a 25-17 win.
Set three proved to be the turning point. Charleston built an 18-14 lead and reached set point at 24-22, but NJIT battled back to tie the set. The two teams traded points through multiple ties before the Highlanders secured the set 29-27.
NJIT carried that momentum into the fourth set, opening on a 4-0 run and extending the lead to 10-3. Charleston attempted to respond with a pair of runs, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as NJIT closed out the match 25-17.
Offensively
Samuel Alo led Charleston in Game 1 with 12 kills, while Conrad Spidsø added 10 and Joonatan Salpakari recorded nine. In Game 2, Salpakari paced the offense with 11 kills, with Alo and Spidsø each adding nine.
Defensively
Yotam Briger totaled 30 assists in Game 1 and followed with 44 assists and 12 digs in Game 2. Pavlin Ivanov contributed five blocks in Game 1 and added four more in the finale to lead Charleston at the net.
Game 2
The Basics
Location: Newark, N.J. (Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness & Events Center)
Score: Charleston 1, NJIT 3 (25-17, 29-31, 15-25, 22-25)
Records: Charleston (13-14, 4-8 EIVA), NJIT (16-8, 7-3 EIVA)
How It Happened (Game 2)
Charleston came out strong in the opening set, staying even early before breaking a 10-10 tie with a 4-0 run sparked by back-to-back service aces from Joonatan Salpakari. The Golden Eagles maintained control the rest of the way to take the set 25-17.
Set two turned into a battle, featuring multiple ties throughout. Charleston built an 18-14 lead and reached set point at 24-22, but NJIT responded late to extend the set. The Highlanders capitalized on late Charleston errors to take the set 31-29.
NJIT carried that momentum into the third set, using a strong mid-set run to build a 20-12 lead behind consistent offense and Charleston miscues. The Golden Eagles were unable to recover as NJIT took the set 25-15.
The fourth set remained tight early, with both teams trading points before a 16-16 tie. NJIT used a late push to build a 20-17 lead and maintained control down the stretch. Charleston cut the deficit late, but the Highlanders closed out the set 25-22 to secure the match.
Offensively
Joonatan Salpakari led Charleston with 11 kills, while Samuel Alo added nine and Conrad Spidsø chipped in nine.
Defensively
Yotam Briger recorded 44 assists and 12 digs, while Pavlin Ivanov led the net presence with four blocks.
Up Next:
Charleston will compete in the EIVA Conference Tournament.
