New Jersey City University Athletics

 

NEW YORK, NY…Freshman outside hitter JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) led New Jersey City University with 14 kills, and sophomore middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth), this week’s Division III National Player of the Week, added 13 kills, a .480 hitting percentage, 21 digs, and three blocks, as the Gothic Knights won their seventh consecutive match by sweeping Hunter College, 30-21, 30-20, 30-16, late Thursday at the Hunter Sportsplex.

              

NJCU improves to 11-4 overall, and after beginning the year at 4-4, are riding the seven-game streak, marking the seventh winning streak of at least seven games in program history. The record is 20 consecutive wins set last season. Hunter (3-13) continues to lead the all-time series, 6-4.

              

LeBlanc, who ranks second on NJCU with 2.92 kills per game, led the Knights in kills in a match for the first time in her career, adding 12 digs and a match-high four aces.

 

Cintron powered 13 kills with only one error in 25 swings for the .480 percentage, adding the 21

digs, three blocks (two solo) and three aces. She has 1058 career kills, and is within 85 of matching the program’s all-time record of 1143. She also moved into ninth place in school history with 828 digs.

              

Sophomore middle blocker MEAGAN ROBERTS (Union, NJ/Union) landed nine kills (9-4-20, .250) and rejected four blocks (two solo).

              

Sophomore outside hitter GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth), who ranks eighth in school history with 848 digs, had 19 digs and three aces. Freshman libero LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) passed 12 digs.

              

Sophomore setter NADIA DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Science) distributed 18 assists and freshman setter SOFIA GUTIERREZ (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) dished 17. Freshman outside hitter SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) collected three assisted blocks.

              

No Hunter player had more than five kills and the Hawks only mustered 18 the entire match, as NJCU’s defense held the host team to a .038 hitting percentage.

              

NJCU will look to extend its streak to 10 when it competes on Saturday, October 1 at 9 a.m. in the Hunter College Tournament. The Knights will face St. Joseph’s College (LI) at 9 a.m., a team it has twice defeated in four games this season, before squaring off against Hunter again at 11 a.m. NJCU meets Eastern Connecticut State University (9-6) at 1 p.m. in a match that could decide the tournament championship. NJCU’s second longest winning streak in school history is nine games, achieved in 1997.