LORETTO, Pa. - #4 FDU stormed to their first-ever NEC Championship win in a quarterfinal match against #5 Merrimack on Wednesday night. The Knights took sets one, two and four in a 3-1 victory that sets up a semifinal date tomorrow with #2 Daemen.
Fresh off being named to his second straight All-NEC first team,
Jamal Ellis Carballo showed why he is among the conference's elite. The sophomore attacker smashed 23 kills on a stunning 54 attacks. He also contributed seven digs and extended multiple points with strong defensive efforts.
Merrimack's attack was slightly more efficient than the that of the Knights. The Warriors hit .213, while FDU hit .148. However, the Burgundy and Blue found seven more digs and made ten less service errors in the four-set battle.
Ultimately, the Knights made the timely plays. In the decisive fourth frame, FDU hit .241 and held Merrimack to a lowly .147 hitting percentage.
The match's biggest swing came in the second set. After taking the first set in a slim 25-23 decision, FDU found themselves trailing 24-22 in the late stages of game number two. The Knights gained the serve back after a Merrimack attack error.
Lorenzo Bonomo, who entered off the bench, launched a game-tying ace that ignited the Knights. This clutch delivery completely flipped the momentum, and FDU finished the set on a 4-0 spurt. They stole it 26-24 and earned a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
With their backs against the wall, Merrimack hit .409 in the third and held FDU to an attack percentage below .100. They would win their lone set of the night in wire-to-wire fashion, 25-20.
The fourth-seeded Knights wasted no time reapplying their foot to the pedal out of the break and put together a 10-5 run to kick off set four. Merrimack would eventually cut the lead to one on two separate occasions, but the timely Knights held them off in another 25-23 win.
Ethan Young complemented Ellis Carballo's offense with 11 kills of his own. Doing the "dishing" was
Jose Angarita, who finished with 42 assists.
Grady Hoffman added 13 digs to his season total.
This marks the first time FDU has beaten an NEC opponent three times in the same season.
WHAT'S NEXT
After #6 Sacred Heart upset #3 LIU in Wednesday's first quarterfinal, the NEC tournament bracket reseeds and pins the Knights up against #2 Daemen. First serve is set for 4 p.m. inside DelGol Arena in Loretto. The game will air live on NEC Front Row and ESPN+. Daemen swept FDU in two matchups this year, but the Knights did take down the Wildcats in the final weekend of the 2023 season. Thursday's tilt will be the fifth time the two programs have met.
