HACKENSACK, N.J.- FDU earned their first-ever NEC victory in a 5-set thriller over Merrimack on Friday night. The win brings the Knights' record to 4-6 overall and 1-3 in the conference.
 

Top Performers

With a few crucial members of the Knights' attack battling injuries, FDU got a much-needed monster performance from Jack Lydon. The sophomore had a season-high 21 kills on a .368 hitting percentage, and also tallied four aces.
 
Lydon's prolific night was complemented by Jamal Ellis Carballo and Artem Vetrov. Ellis Carballo, who did not appear in sets one and two, came out of the bullpen to spark the Knights. In just three sets of action, he produced a career-high 14 kills. Vetrov also set a season-high in kills with 12 to bolster the FDU attack. He added two aces as well.
 

Match Flow

In a quick moving first set, the Knights were able to grab and secure a comfortable lead. With the match tied at 11, the Knights made their move with a swift 5-0 run that put them in the driver's seat. Just moments later, FDU used a 7-2 run to close out the first set, 25-16.
 
Facing a potential two-set deficit, Merrimack saw themselves trailing 14-12 in the second frame. A 4-0 run gave them a lead that they would not lose. FDU tightened the score to 22-21, but Merrimack won the final three points of the set to win it, 25-21.
 
The Knights regrouped and found their footing in the third rather quickly. Holding leads of 5-2 and 12-7, FDU never trailed in the set. They won it, 25-21.
 
Again, Merrimack played their best volleyball of the night when they found themselves trailing. They pounced in the fourth and took a commanding 10-5 lead. FDU did their best to weather the storm and cut the lead to 15-14 at the media timeout. The remainder of the set was back-and-forth but eventually went Merrimack's way, 25-23.
 
In tune with the theme of the night, the teams played an extremely tight fifth set. With the score tied at 10, the Knights exploded on a 5-1 run to grab the final set, 15-11. Two kills from Ellis Carballo sealed the deal.
 

What's Next

The Knights return to action tomorrow night at Stratis Arena. They will take on Sacred Heart in an NEC matchup at 6pm. Stream the match NEC Front Row.