UNION, N.J. – Senior Derek Portugal (Barrington, R.I.) tallied 11 kills and three total blocks for Wentworth Institute of Technology, as they defeated host Kean University in straight sets on Friday evening. The win was Wentworth's fifth in a row and begins a stretch of four matches in two days.
The Leopards took the first game by a 25-17 score before the host Cougars forced Wentworth to win by two points in the next two games, winning 26-24 and 27-25.
In the victory, sophomore setter Tyler Moriarty (Wilbraham, Mass.) posted 21 assists and a match-high nine digs, while senior Dan Mulvey (Halifax, Mass.) posted eight kills and only one error in 15 total attacks.
Sophomore Steve Valhalla (Bloomfield, N.J.) had 11 kills and two total blocks for the Cougars while junior Sam Haimann (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) added eight kills, four assists and six digs and freshman Naveed Khawaja (South Orange, N.J.) dished out 27 assists. Rookie Christian Portera (East Brunswick, N.J.) posted eight kills, four digs and two assisted blocks.
Wentworth improves to 6-4 and travels to Lancaster Bible for three matches on Saturday, as the Leopards face host Lancaster Bible, Thiel, and Stevenson. Kean falls to 3-5 in its inaugural season and is at New Jersey Institute of Technology on Tuesday.
-Portions of the story courtesy of Kean Sports Information-