OCTOBER 3-9, 2005
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It was a historical week for both New Jersey City University's women's volleyball team and sophomore middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON. She became the all-time leader in kills in NJCU history as only a sophomore, and boosted the Gothic Knights to sole possession of first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference for the first time ever in the month of October. For the second time in three weeks, Cintron has been named the NJAC Player of the Week. Furthermore, she has been selected as the NJCU Women's Student-Athlete of the Week for the 11th time in her career and the fifth consecutive week in 2005.
Her selection as NJAC Player of the Week for week six of the 2005 season marks the seventh time a NJCU player has received the award since 2001. She was previously selected in week four on September 26. She is a three-time AVCA Division III National Player of the Week and six-time ECAC Division III Player of the Week in her career, and has received each of those awards once this year.
In a 3-0 week for the Gothic Knights (16-5, 4-0 NJAC), she led NJCU to its 12th win in 13 matches. It is the furthest into a season any NJCU women’s team in any sport has ever been in first place in an NJAC sport.
In three dominant matches over 10 games, she tallied 51 kills, 64.5 points and a spectacular .404 hitting percentage (51-9-104). She added 14 blocks, 44 digs, and four service aces. In all, Cintron averaged 6.45 points, 5.10 kills, 4.40 digs, 1.40 blocks and 0.40 aces per game.
In NJCU’s 3-1 road win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy (30-18, 30-26, 23-30, 32-30) on October 6, Cintron registered 23 kills to become NJCU’s all-time leader in only her second year. Cintron entered the match with 1122 kills, and with 23 in the contest, eclipsed the all-time kills record of 1143 achieved by Melissa Pablos in 391 games from 2000-03. Remarkably, Cintron, took control of the most prestigious volleyball record at NJCU in only 186 games, accomplishing the feat in less than half the time it took Pablos. Record-breaking kills are nothing new for Cintron. She graduated high school in 2004 with 1198 kills in her prep career, the second most in state history.
Cintron added 14 digs and three blocks, including one solo, and hit .271 (23-7-59) in the USMMA win. Her final two kills allowed NJCU to prevent a fifth game, and sealed the match, while breaking the record.
On October 4, when NJCU swept Rutgers-Camden on the road (30-19, 30-10, 30-9) to remain a perfect 4-0 in the NJAC, Cintron amassed 14 kills, 16 digs, and five blocks (four assisted). She hit an impressive .565 in the match, with only one error in 23 attacks. On October 7 when NJCU swept the City College of New York on the road (30-22, 30-14, 30-18), one day after she broke NJCU’s all-time kills record, Cintron increased her total to 1159, by hitting .591 overall. She carved up 14 kills and only one error in 22 attempts, and added 12 digs, six blocks (three solo) and three aces.
Cintron now has 156 solo blocks and is only two shy of matching that career record (158). She already is the all-time leader in total blocks and assisted blocks. Through October 2, Cintron is ranked No. 7 in Division III in kills per game, ninth in blocks per game, and 14
th in hitting percentage.
Through October 5, Cintron continues to lead the NJAC in virtually every offensive category: kills per game (4.70), hitting percentage (.420), points (6.45) and blocks (1.66). She is the only player in the league averaging more than one block per game, and ranks fifth in digs per game (4.39). She is averaged 1.05 more points per game than any other player in the NJAC. Her hitting percentage is remarkably .124 higher than any other opponent player in the conference.
