New Jersey City University Athletics

 

WAYNE, NJ…No women’s team at New Jersey City University had ever won a regular season New Jersey Athletic Conference championship—until Thursday. Sophomore middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth) notched her second consecutive triple-double, posting 33 kills, 32 digs, 12 blocks, and a .467 hitting percentage, as NJCU fended off William Paterson University’s upset bid and posted a 3-2 (23-30, 30-27, 30-24, 24-30, 15-13) victory over its NJAC rival, Thursday evening at the WPU Rec Center.

 

The victory enabled New Jersey City (18-5, 6-0 NJAC) to clinch first place in the NJAC and a first-round bye in the NJAC Tournament that begins November 2. It is the first time NJCU has ever finished first in the conference in a women’s sport, and the first time a Gothic Knight women’s club has ever received a first-round bye in any conference tournament.

 

It will also mark the first time NJCU’s women’s volleyball team, which has set a school record for NJAC victories in a season, eclipsing the mark of five in 2002 and 2005, has ever advanced as far as the semifinals of the NJAC Tournament. The Knights clinched home court advantage throughout the conference tournament and NJCU is 14-0 at home in the last two seasons.

 

If the Knights can defeat Kean University in Union, NJ on October 25, it will mark the first since men’s basketball went 10-0 in 1979-80 that any NJCU team, men’s or women’s will have gone undefeated in the conference standings.

 

NJCU has won five consecutive matches and 14 of their last 15 overall. It also is the first time the Gothic Knights had defeated the Pioneers (14-6, 3-3 JAC) since 2002, snapping a four-game losing streak against their league foes, and only the second time NJCU has ever knocked off WPU in Wayne. The Pioneers lead the all-time series, 31-5.

 

With all the records Cintron has achieved this season, the woman who has set her up offensively accomplished an all-time record of her own. Sophomore setter NADIA DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Science) delivered 27 assists, giving her 1747 in her career, and became the program’s all-time leader, surpassing Leydi Zuluaga’s 1730 from 2001-02.

 

Meanwhile, Cintron tallied season highs in kills (33-5-60) and digs, marking the ninth time in her career she has smacked 30 or more kills in a match, and the sixth time with 30 or more digs. It also marked her fourth career triple-double and fourth match with double-digit blocks.

 

LIZZELLE CINTRON" src="/images/wvball/2005/10/14/09-22-05%20Lizzelle%20Cintron%2046.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Now with 136 blocks this season, Cintron broke her own single-season record of 128 set in 2004. She increased her all-time kills record to 1216, and with 1523.5 points, is now just 71.0 shy of the career record of 1594.5 by Melissa Pablos (2000-03).

 

Sophomore outside hitter GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) had a season-high 30 digs, two shy of her career high, and now has 984 in her career, 16 shy of becoming the sixth member of the 1000-dig club. She added seven kills and two aces.

 

Freshman outside hitter JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) chalked up a career-high 17 kills, and defended 19 digs. Sophomore middle blocker MEAGAN ROBERTS (Union, NJ/Union) hit .250, with 13 kills (13-5-32) and two blocks. Freshman outside hitter SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) nearly had a double-double, with nine kills and a career-high eight blocks.

 

Freshman setter SOFIA GUTIERREZ (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) dished 38 assists for NJCU with eight digs. Senior defensive specialist JOANNA MIEDZWIEDZ (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) and freshman libero LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) combined for 23 digs.

 

For the Pioneers, senior outside hitter Lauren Shears (Montclair, NJ/Montclair) led the way with 22 kills (22-3-78, .244) and 18 digs, while sophomore Michelle Banom (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) spiked a career-high 16 kills and hit .517 (16-1-29)

 

Also for WPU, seniors Jess McKenna (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) and Holly Tedesco (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) combined for 48 assists and 15 digs. Senior Viviane Abreu (Ridgefield, NJ/Ridgefield Memorial) dug up 29 balls, senior Kerri Lindenthaler (Haskell, NJ/Lakeland Regional) added 18 digs and sophomore Dana Sprague (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) finished with six kills, 10 digs, and four service aces.

 

After experiencing transportation difficulties that caused the match to start 48 minutes late, NJCU came out flat after defeating Richard Stockton College on October 11, in the most significant regular-season win in school history. The Pioneers took advantage and closed the first game by scoring 13 of the last 18 points to record a 30-23 victory.

 

Although not as dominant as they’ve been much of the season, the Gothic Knights responded in the next two games by getting off quickly and holding off late Pioneer charges. Cintron’s all-around enabled her team get back in the match. In game two, NJCU led 19-12 after combining with Torres for a block, holding on for a 30-27 win. In the third game, NJCU rolled out to a 22-14 lead after a kill by LeBlanc and won 30-24.

 

WPU scored the first six points in game four, and led 9-1, and 17-8. NJCU attempted to rally, and climbed within four, 19-15, after a LeBlanc kill. However, Shears had six kills in the fourth game as WPU pulled out a 30-24 victory to force a deciding fifth game.

 

Despite Cintron nailing six kills in seven swings in the fifth game, the teams traded leads back and forth, with seven ties, including when the Pioneers forced a 13-13 deadlock on a kill by Shears.

 

However, a hitting error by WPU made it 14-13, and Perez served her 106^th career ace for match point, enabling them to set a school record for NJAC victories.

 

Both teams return to action on Saturday, October 15, when they participate in the 12^th Annual Gothic Knight Women’s Volleyball Invitational at NJCU. The tournament starts at 9 a.m. and also features the College of St. Elizabeth and Rutgers University-Camden. NJCU is the defending tournament champion, after WPU three-peated from 2001-03, and finished second three other years.