New Jersey City University Athletics

 

For the 28th time in her remarkable career and third week in a row, senior middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON is the NJCU Women's Athlete of the Week. She was also selected as the Sports Imports/AVCA Division III National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for the sixth time in her career and the New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the 15th time in three season and third week in a row.

 

In yet another historic week for Cintron, she became the first player in the history of the New Jersey Athletic Conference and fourth in Division III history to record 2,500 career kills, moved into 12^th place in Division I, II and III history in kills, was named to her 17^th career All-Tournament Team, registered her 17^th career match with 30 or more kills, recorded 25 or more kills in a match for the 29^th, 30^th, and 31^st time, achieved her 91^st, 92^nd, 93^rd, 94^th, and 95^th career double-doubles and collected her 19^th and 20^th career 20-kill/20-dig match.

 

On Tuesday, she will be named the NJAC Player of the Week for the third week in a row and 15^th time in three years,

 

Overall in 24 games over six matches, Cintron averaged 6.81 points, 5.79 kills, 3.83 digs, 1.21 blocks and 0.25 aces per game while hitting .398 as an attacker. She tallied 163.5 points, 139 kills, 92 digs, 29 blocks and six aces. She had 24 or more kills in her final four matches of the week, double-doubles in five of six matches and double figures in digs in five matches. NJCU (12-4) went 3-3 overall, including an NJAC win over Montclair State University and a non-conference win over rival Richard Stockton College in the difficult Salisbury Invitational. She now has 2,580 career kills.

 

In a 3-0 (30-25, 30-11, 30-23) win over MSU on September 18, Cintron tallied 16 kills, 11 digs and eight blocks, collected her 91st career double-double, and moved into 17^th place in Division I, II and III history in career kills with 2,457, as the Gothic Knights won their 34^th consecutive home court match. Cintron belted 16 kills and only made two errors (16-2-27) for a .519 hitting percentage.

 

On September 20 in a 3-0 (30-24, 30-18, 30-17) road sweep of Baruch College that gave head coach Christopher Feliciano his 100^th career win, she reached yet another milestone, climbing into fourth place in the history of Division III in career kills and 15^th in the Division I, II or III record book with 2,471 kills in only her 423^rd game. In two games, she finished with 14 kills and only two errors (14-2-22) and hit .545 with six digs, three blocks, and three aces. She passed Division III Wittenberg University’s Dawn Reinhardt (1995-98, 2,458 kills, 529 games) and Division II St. Edward’s Erika Figueiredo (2001-04, 2,466 kills, 514 games) on the all-time list.

 

In a nailbiting, 3-2 (30-21, 19-30, 19-30, 32-30, 14-16) loss to Johns Hopkins University in the opening match of the Salisbury Invitational on September 21, three NJCU players reached double-figures in kills, led by Cintron who tallied 27, with 12 digs and six blocks for her 92^nd career double-double. She hit .300 in the contest (27-12-50) and increased her career kills total to 2,498.

 

When NJCU defeated Richard Stockton College, 3-2 (22-30, 30-24, 20-30, 30-17, 15-7) in the second match of day one of the Salisbury Invitational, she led a solid all-around offense which combined for 68 kills and hit .293 as a team (68-20-164). NJCU rallied from a 2-1 deficit with decisive wins in game four (30-17) and five (15-7). Cintron registered her 17^th career match with 30 or more kills and 93^rd double-double, hitting .481 overall with 31 kills (31-6-52), 19 digs and three blocks. On her final 12 swings of the match, she planted eight kills. She eclipsed the 2,500 kill plateau early in the first game against the Ospreys, becoming only the fourth player in Division III and 14^th in collegiate women’s volleyball history to reach the 2,500 kill plateau.

 

On September 22 in the second day of the Salisbury Invitational, Cintron posted 24 kills and 23 digs but NJCU fell in five games, 3-2 (22-30, 30-13, 30-27, 29-31, 6-15) to the eventual tournament champion Sea Gulls. Cintron finished with 24 kills (24-7-46), a .370 percentage, 23 digs and seven blocks to move into 12 place in Division I, II and III history with 2,553 kills, passing Division II Northern Alabama’s Ronda Price (2,550 kills, 585 games, 1996-99) in only her 438^th career game. Cintron notched her 19^th career 20-kill/20-dig result and 94^th career double-double in the loss to Salisbury.

 

In the final match of the tournament, a 3-1 (30-26, 25-30, 24-30, 26-30) loss to Gettysburg College, Cintron, who was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Salisbury Invitational, hammered 27 kills and added 21 digs, and was selected to her 17^th career All-Tournament Team. Cintron, who finished hitting .306 with 27 kills, 21 digs, two aces and two blocks, increased her career kills total to 2,580—still 12^th in NCAA Division I, II and III history. She needs 19 more for 11^th place. The 27 kills represented the 31^st time in her career and the fourth time this season—including three times in the tournament—that Cintron has tallied 25 or more kills in a single match. It also marked her 95^th career double-double and her 20^th career 20-kill/20-dig match, and second in a row. She also is closing in on milestones in other categories, now with 299 career block assists and 198 aces.

 

 

2007-2008 ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Men’s Athlete of the Week			Women’s Athlete of the Week
Date	Name	Sport	Date	Name	Sport
09/03/2007	Marcelo Carpio	Men’s Soccer	09/03/2007	Alex Johanesen	Women’s Volleyball
09/10/2007	Edison Bilbao	Men’s Soccer	09/10/2007	Jennifer Albuja	Women’s Soccer
			09/10/2007	Lizzelle Cintron	Women’s Volleyball
09/17/2007	Cristhian Acuna	Men’s Soccer	09/17/2007	Lizzelle Cintron	Women’s Volleyball
09/24/2007	Cristhian Acuna	Men’s Soccer	09/24/2007	Lizzelle Cintron	Women’s Volleyball