Box score
NEWARK, N.J. --- Senior Chad Mercado (Orlando,
Fla.) posted 20 kills and a blistering .581 hitting percentage to
lead the Lees-McRae College men's volleyball team to a straight-set
sweep of NCAA Division I New Jersey Institute of Technology on
Friday night to push the Bobcats' winning streak to four
matches.
Lees-McRae (8-6) combined for a scorching .471 hitting
percentage on the night, including a pair of set clips over .500.
The Bobcats won the match by scores of 25-16, 25-18, and 25-21 to
notch their fourth straight victory, while posting six blocks, 31
digs, and holding NJIT (3-8) to a .202 clip on the attack.
Mercado posted his third 20-kill match of the season, recording
20 smashes and just two errors on 31 swings, while not registering
a miscue until midway through the third set. Randy Ramirez
(Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) notched two kills, five blocks, and a
match-high 40 assists, while freshman Eduardo Gonzales (San Juan,
Puerto Rico) chipped in 10 kills on 15 swings for a .533 attacking
clip. Efrain Negron (Orlando, Fla.) also notched a team-high eight
digs for LMC.
Kevin Van Oss (Dayton, Ohio) paced the Highlanders with 10 kills
on 18 swings, posting a .444 hitting percentage as Adam Gustafson
(Monee, Ill.) notched a double-double with 24 assists and a
match-high 10 digs. Andrei Stoyanow (Sao Paulo, Brazil) chipped
seven kills for NJIT, while Brady Smith (Kurtistown, Hawaii) added
six digs.
Lees-McRae never trailed in the first set, taking a 15-8 lead on
a trio of Mercado kills as the senior opposite posted a perfect
8-for-8 opening frame. The Bobcats maintained a comfortable
advantage for the duration of the set, capping the frame with
back-to-back kills by Mercado and Edmund Walkley (Glenbrook,
Australia).
NJIT fought back in the second, taking a 12-9 lead with a 3-0
spurt before Lees-McRae responded, countering with an 8-1 spurt to
claim a 17-13 advantage on a Gonzales kill. Lees-McRae then closed
out the set with an 8-5 run to notch the 25-18 second-frame win on
a kill by Matt Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio).
The third set proved to be a closely contested affair, with
neither team claiming more than a three-point advantage until, with
the score line reading 21-20 in favor of the Highlanders,
Lees-McRae launched a decisive 5-0 spurt to close out the match on
back-to-back kills by Gonzales.
Lees-McRae returns to the court on Saturday when the Bobcats
travel to University Park, Pa. to take on No. 11 Penn State
University. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. in the South Gym of
Rec Hall.
- LMC -
