BROOKLYN, N.Y.- The FDU Knights (8-9, 2-2 NEC) completed their sweep of the LIU Sharks (9-11, 1-3 NEC) in a five set conference win.
Laydon Biro and
Jamal Ellis laid down double-digit kills and multiple aces in the victory. The Knights additionally saw four different player log four assisted blocks.
Vinil Shah and
Jamal Ellis combined for two kills to give the Knights a 4-3 advantage. LIU capitalized on FDU miscues to retake the lead, before giving up four consecutive attacking errors to put the Knights back in front 10-7.
The Sharks retook a lead midway through the set, with the Knights trailing 14-13. The Sharks carried momentum throughout the rest of the set, later rattling off a five-point-crusade to lead 24-18. The Knights benefited from late attacking errors before LIU took the first set 25-20.
Rayjan Suarez Palacios and
Dylan McFadden notched kills to give the Knights an early 3-2 lead. Three LIU errors kept FDU out in front with a 7-5 lead. Following a
Jamal Ellis kill, the Knights dropped two points to trail 12-10.
The Sharks continued to hold an edge over FDU, before
Laydon Biro tied the second set at 20-20. The squads exchanged points before LIU took a late lead, 25-24. Ellis landed a kill and a service ace to retake the FDU lead, before Suarez Palacios ended the set 27-25.
Facing an early 4-4 gridlock,
Panagiotis Kourmouzos piled a kill before Biro added a service ace. The Knights notched four of the next five points, with all of them coming off LIU errors to lead 10-5.
Four critical kills from Biro helped FDU stay ahead 16-13, as FDU continued to hold momentum by going on a 5-1 run late in the set. Leading 21-17, two kills by Suarez Palacios and two attacking errors by the Sharks gave FDU the third set in 25-18 fashion.
A service ace from Ellis helped FDU build an early 8-5 lead. The Sharks fought back with a four-point-run to retake the lead 9-8. LIU kept just ahead of the Knights, leading 17-13 late in the set.
Only Kourmouzos and Ellis logged kills for the Knights in the remainder of the fourth set, with the Sharks using powerful runs to end the set swiftly 25-16.
With a 2-1 lead already for FDU, Ellis logged consecutive kills alongside an LIU attacking error and a kil by Biro to conclude a four-point-run. The Knights led 6-1. Biro triggered the fifth set side switch with another kill, as the Knights continued to stay in front 8-4.
Suarez Palacios and Ellis helped the Knights lead 12-8, before the Sharks rattled off four point runs to tie the set 12-12.
Suarez Palacios was not done, laying down two of the final three points, including match point, to give FDU their second NEC win. The Knights took the fifth set 15-12.
The Knights travel to D'Youville for a road slate, with the first contest on March 27 at 7 p.m. The squads play again the next day at 1 p.m. Both matches will air on NEC Front Row.
