STATEN ISLAND, NY…Freshman outside hitter GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) served a career-high 11 aces, and New Jersey City University hit .493 as a team, as the Gothic Knights improved to 16-5 overall by crushing the College of Staten Island, 30-11, 30-8, 30-6, in a women’s volleyball match that lasted only 55 minutes at the CSI Sports & Rec Center. The 25 total points scored by CSI makes this the most lopsided NJCU victory since the sport adopted the 30-point rally scoring format in 2001.
NJCU has won six in a row for the second time this season. In the first meeting between the schools in volleyball since 1997, NJCU leads the all-time series, 6-4, and have won the last three matches. Staten Island falls to 4-12 overall and has lost two straight.
Perez landed 11 aces to tie for the second most in a match in school history, and was part of a 24-ace onslaught by NJCU. It marked the seventh time in school history a player has had double-digit aces in a match.
Freshmen middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth), the NCAA Division III leader in kills per game by a substantial margin, landed 13 and made just one error in 16 swings to hit .750 and led the way offensively for NJCU. She added 17 digs and two aces.
Perez tallied seven kills (7-1-14) to hit .429, and defended 11 digs. Senior outside hitter CHRISTINA COCUCCI (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) hit .500 with seven kills (7-1-12) and 12 digs in two games. Freshman middle hitter MEAGAN ROBERTS (Union, NJ/Union) only played the third game, but still posted six kills and hit .625 (6-1-8).
Freshman setter NADIA DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Science) was responsible for NJCU hitting .493 as a team (41-7-67), as she distributed 36 assists, while adding three aces.
Junior JOANNA MIEDZWIEDZ (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) provided 16 digs and two aces, while junior opposite LUCILLE VILLAPLANA (Newark, NJ/Barringer) had six kills (6-3-11), hit .273, and served three aces. Sophomore outside hitter JENNA GADINO (West New York, NJ/Memorial) chipped in three aces.
NJCU hit .600 in the second game (16-1-25) and .545 in the third (14-2-22) to wrap-up the shortest match of the year. NJCU remains on pace to break the 1997 club’s record for victories in a season (26-9).
CSI could muster only five kills as a team (5-7-45) and hit -.044, with 24 reception errors.
NJCU is back in action on Saturday, October 16 beginning at 9am when it hosts the 11th annual Gothic Knight Invitational at the Athletic & Fitness Center. If NJCU can win all three pool play matches, it will tie the 1997 team for the longest winning streak in school history at nine straight. If NJCU wins the tournament, which would take four wins, it would break the record.
