HACKENSACK, N.J.- After erasing a ten-point deficit and stealing a first set victory, the FDU Knights were taken down in four by NEC rival LIU on Saturday evening. This marks the Knights seventh-straight loss and their third-straight to open up conference play. FDU now sits at 8-6, 0-2 in 2024. The win improves LIU to 5-11, 2-3.
LIU strolled through the initial stages of the opening frame and held a comfortable 18-8 lead. The Knights made minor indents and cut the deficit to eight before ripping off an electric 15-5 run that spurred FDU to a 27-25 win. A sturdy FDU defense held LIU to a .121 hitting percentage in the first set and sparked the comeback.
That FDU defense did not have the same answers in set number two as the Sharks smashed 16 kills and committed just three errors in their 25-21 win. That momentum continued into the third set where the Sharks hit .250 and held the Knights in the negatives. LIU took the third frame, 25-17.
An 8-3 FDU lead quickly vanished in set number four when the Sharks won 11 of the next 17 points to knot the game at 14-14. The set stayed closed before LIU earned themselves a match point at 24-21. The Knights fought the next two points off before eventually dropping the set and match, 25-23.
Ethan Young's 15 kills paced the Knights on the offensive end. He was complemented by
Jack Lydon who produced seven of his own.
Mihajlo Rodic totaled five of FDU's nine blocks in the match.
Dylan McFadden played the role of setter nicely dishing out 36 assists and adding nine digs in the process.
WHAT'S NEXT
FDU will take on No. 17 George Mason in Fairfax, Va next Saturday, March 9 at 5 p.m. George Mason took down the Knights in three sets earlier this season in Hackensack. It marks the single road game before a six-game homestand for FDU.
