Sophomore middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON, the 2004 NCAA Division III national kills and kills per game leader, was one of six players selected to the All-Tournament team of the Scranton University Invitational, posting a tremendous all-around effort, as she led NJCU to the championship bracket of the tournament and a third place finish of nine schools. Cintron, who averaged 4.85 kills, 3.31 digs, 1.77 blocks, and 6.62 points per game while hitting an astronomical .420, has been selected as the NJCU Women's Student-Athlete of the Week for the eighth time in her career and the second consecutive week in 2005.
In a 3-1 (29-31, 30-25, 30-10, 30-24) win over Wilkes University, she hit .588 with 23 kills and only three errors in 34 swings, defended 11 digs and rejected 10 blocks (four solo), to post her second triple-double in as many matches, as a middle blocker.
She led NJCU to first place in Pool B of the tournament, as the Gothic Knights defeated York College (PA), 3-1 (28-30, 30-17, 30-24, 30-20). In that match, she landed 18 kills and hit .382 (18-5-34), with 17 digs, eight blocks (six solo), and three aces.
In a hard-fought, 3-2 (30-24, 21-30, 30-25, 28-30, 11-15) loss in the championship bracket to host Scranton, she led all players with 22 kills and hit .318 (22-8-44), with 15 digs and five blocks. She did not play in the final match against Elizabethtown, and without her, NJCU fell in three games.
Cintron now has 955 career kills in barely one season of college ball, and needs 45 to become the second member of the 1000-kill club at NJCU. She also now has 178 career blocks, just 25 shy of that career record.
In the New Jersey Athletic Conference, Cintron leads the league in hitting percentage, kills per game, total blocks, blocks per game, points, and points per game, and is sixth in digs. She ranks seventh in Division III in blocks per game and 13th in kills per game.
