New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…The New Jersey City University women’s volleyball team received 20 kills, 15 digs, four blocks, and a spectacular .533 hitting percentage from sophomore middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth), this week’s Division III National Player of the Week, and 10 kills, two aces, and a .444 percentage from freshman outside hitter JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), and posted its first-ever three-game sweep of Montclair State University, 30-18, 30-9, 30-17, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

              

NJCU (10-4, 3-0 NJAC) wins its sixth consecutive match to remain unbeaten in the conference, knotted with Richard Stockton College for first place in the league. The win marks the furthest into a season NJCU has ever held a share of first place in the NJAC standings. It also marks only the third time in school history NJCU has won three or more conference matches in a season (1997, 3; 2002, 5).

              

For the Red Hawks (6-8, 1-3 NJAC), the loss is the third in four matches. MSU leads the all-time series, 16-4 since 1989, but NJCU has won three of the last five meetings.

              

NJCU hit a whopping .303 as a team in the match (46-19-99), versus .000 (14-14-80) for the visitors. LIZZELLE CINTRON" src="/images/wvball/2005/9/27/09-22-05%20Lizzelle%20Cintron%2042.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>The Knights carved up a .500 percentage in game two, with 16 kills (16-2-28). The 30-9 margin in game two marks the first time NJCU has held a conference opponent to single figures in a game since rally scoring commenced in 2001.

Cintron, who was named NJAC Player of the Week on Monday, and AVCA/Division III National Player of the Week for the third time in her career, demonstrated why, as she posted 20 kills and only four errors in 30 attempts for the .533 hitting clip, added the four assisted blocks, and accounted for 22.0 points. She has 1045 career kills, and is within 98 of matching the program’s all-time record of 1143.

              

LeBlanc posted a line of 10-2-18 for a .444 rate, while sophomore outside hitter GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) posted a .412 percentage with nine kills (9-2-17), eight digs and three aces. Freshman libero LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) played a key role in the win. In addition to 10 digs and three aces, she served 13 consecutive points in game two, and tallied 18 in the frame.

              

JACQUELINE LEBLANC" src="/images/wvball/2005/9/27/09-22-05%20Jacqueline%20LeBlanc%2035.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Sophomore setter NADIA DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Science) distributed 20 assists and had three assisted blocks. Freshman setter SOFIA GUTIERREZ (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) delivered 17 assists and landed four aces. Freshman outside hitter SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) collected three blocks.

              

For Montclair, junior middle hitter Heather Aciz (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) had a team-high seven kills (7-5-26, .077), with five digs and two aces. Sophomore setter Melissa Ciaccio (North Arlington, NJ/North Arlington) dished 13 assists.

              

In game one, NJCU built a 15-4 lead out of the gate, and cruised to the 12-point win. In game two, the precise serving of Negron allowed the Knights to gain a 13-1 lead, which expanded to 18-3 and 22-5, before winning by 21.

              

NJCU will look to extend its streak to seven wins when it visits Hunter College on Thursday, September 29 at 6 p.m. in New York, NY. MSU hosts Centenary College that night at 7 p.m.