Sacred Heart
10-15,3-9EIVA
New Jersey Institute of Technology
18-8,9-3EIVA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart | 21 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 1 |
| NJIT | 25 | 25 | 15 | 25 | 3 |
Pios Fall in Regular Season Finale, Set Sights on EIVA Tournament
4/18/2026 8:06:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NEWARK, N.J. — The Sacred Heart Men's Volleyball team dropped a 3-1 road decision to NJIT in the Eastern Intercolliegate Volleyball Association (EIVA) regular season finale on Saturday, falling in four sets at the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness & Events Center.
Set one was tightly contested early, with Sacred Heart using a strong stretch behind Aleksa Mandic and Petr Beranek to build a 9-6 advantage. The Pioneers continued to apply pressure and held the lead deep into the set, extending it to 19-17 after a kill from Jack Krausz. NJIT responded late, flipping momentum with a decisive run fueled by service pressure and timely kills from Wiktor Nowak and Alex Heins. The Highlanders closed on an 8-2 surge to take the opener, 25-21.
In set two, Sacred Heart again found rhythm early, jumping out to an 8-5 lead behind balanced offense and aggressive serving, including an ace from Aaron Johnson. The Pioneers maintained control through the middle portion, holding a 13-12 edge, but NJIT once again surged late. A combination of kills, along with SHU attack errors allowed the Highlanders to pull away. NJIT used another late run to secure the set, 25-20, and take a 2-0 match lead.
Facing a sweep, Sacred Heart delivered its strongest performance in set three. The Pioneers came out sharp, racing to a 7-3 lead and never looking back. Mandic, Johnson, and Krausz powered the offense, while the defense forced multiple NJIT errors. A dominant mid-set run extended the lead to 20-12, and Sacred Heart closed comfortably, 25-15, to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Set four saw NJIT strike first, opening on a 5-1 run behind strong serving from Daniel Latkowski. Sacred Heart battled back, tying the set at 11-11 after a series of NJIT errors and key blocks from Johnson and Krausz. The teams traded points down the stretch, but NJIT gained separation late behind kills from Nowak. Despite a late push from the Pioneers, the Highlanders held on to close the set, 25-22, and the match.
Sacred Heart will travel to Penn State for the First Round of the Eastern Intercolliegate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Tournament when they face #4 University of Charleston in Rec Hall at 7:00 PM.
