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 Leonardo Paludo and NJIT had a great season |
April 18, 2007
EAST STROUDSBURG, PA - Sixth-seeded East Stroudsburg edged visiting New Jersey Institute of Technology, the seventh seed, 3-2, in the first round of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association men's volleyball playoffs Wednesday night.
East Stroudsburg won the fifth and deciding game, 15-11, after the teams had split the first four games of the match. East Stroudsburg won the first game, 30-27, before NJIT came back to even the match with a 31-29 win in game two. The Warriors went back up a game with a 30-27 in the third set and the Highlanders again answered, 30-22, to force the deciding game.
Junior opposite hitter Leonardo Paludo led the offense for the Highlanders posting a match-high 22 kills on 38 swings and eight errors for a hitting percentage of .378. Eduardo Welter and Amobi Armstrong follwed behind posting 15 kills apiece. Junior libero Chris Siddayao dug a team-high 10 digs while Paludo and Welter posted eight.
As a team, the Highlanders collected 10 service aces led by senior Brian Gadaleta and Welter with three. Sophomore setter Rodrigo Correa passed for a match-high 60 assists.
The postseason berth, which earned them the trip to East Stroudsburg, was the second in as many seasons for NJIT, which last year made the EIVA playoffs for the first time since the 2000 season.
The 3-2 playoff win for East Stroudsburg was the rubber match between the two teams, as they had split two regular season meetings, with the Highlanders winning in Newark and the Warriors evening the season series last week in East Stroudsburg.
For the Warriors, Jon Daley led his team with 15 kills while Adam Holdrege passed for 46 assists.
NJIT closes the season with an overall record of 19-10 for the program's best showing since the 1999 team finished 24-5 and advanced to the EIVA finals, before falling to Penn State. The 19 wins stand as the second-highest total since the 1995 Highlanders won 20 matches.
The 2007 season also stands as a milestone for the Highlanders because they captured the regular season championship of the EIVA Hay Division. As Hay Division champs, NJIT earns promotion to the highest rung of the conference, the Tait Division, for the 2008 season (NJIT has not played in the powerful Tait Division since 2002).
