New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Junior middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth) planted 18 kills and hit .727 to move into 17^th place in Division III history in kills, and sophomore setter SOFIA GUTIERREZ (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) delivered 17 assists to reach the 2,000-plateau for her career, as New Jersey City University extended its home court winning streak to 28 consecutive matches, and the Gothic Knights soared past Rutgers University-Camden, 3-0 (30-15, 30-12, 30-25), in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

 

With the sweep, NJCU—ranked No. 7 in the Mid-Atlantic Region, improves to 26-6 overall and 6-1 in the NJAC, winning for the 14^th time in the last 15 matches and the fifth match in a row. With 26 victories, NJCU ties the 1997 and 2005 clubs for the second most victories in a single-season in program history. With a 6-1 NJAC record, NJCU only needs to win its final conference match against Rowan University to guarantee a bye into the NJAC semifinals, and no worse than the No. 2 seed in the league tournament.

 

NJCU—the defending NJAC champions—have now won 15 of its last 16 conference regular season and tournament matches. NJCU is a perfect 27-0 at home in the three-year career of head coach CHRISTOPHER FELICIANO. The Knights uncorked 15 service aces in the match.

 

Camden falls to 5-14 overall and 1-7 in the NJAC. After opening the season with a 5-5 ledger, the Scarlet Raptors have since dropped nine consecutive matches. NJCU leads the all-time series against Camden, 13-0—with all wins coming via 3-0 sweeps.

 

Cintron entered the match with 2,022 kills in her career, and vaulted past three players into 17^th place in Division III history with 2,040 kills. She passed Adrian’s Lauree Dermyer (2,025 kills, 2001-04), Capital University’s Nici Workman (2,026 kills, 2000-03), and SUNY-New Paltz’ Belgica Santana (2,027 kills, 1997-99) on the all-time list in the match. She is one kill shy of a tie for 16^th place all time.

 

LIZZELLE CINTRON" src="/images/wvball/2006/10/17/10-03-06%20Lizzelle%20Cintron%2054.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>Cintron pounded 18 kills and made only two errors (18-2-22), to post a staggering .727 hitting percentage. It was the 21^st time in 32 matches this season she has hit over .500, and the fourth time she has a clip of .700 or better. She powered kills on her final 11 consecutive attacks to close the match.

 

Gutierrez paced an offense which hit .465 overall with 42 kills (42-9-71). By distributing 17 assists, she became the second player in NJCU history—both coming this season—to reach the 2,000-career assist plateau. She also tied her career high with six service aces, and had a team-high seven digs.

 

Sophomore outside hitter JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) hit .500 overall with eight kills and just one error (8-1-14), adding two aces and two blocks. With eight kills, she moved into fourth place in school history in total kills with 781, passing Francia Almonte, who had 778 winners from 1997-00. Sophomore middle blocker SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) hit .417 with seven kills (7-2-12) and three blocks.

 

Junior outside hitter GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) had four kills (4-1-8, .375), six digs, and three aces. She moved into fifth place in school history in aces with 184, passing Almonte who landed 183.

 

Camden received a team-high 11 kills (11-5-22), two aces and a .273 percentage from freshman middle hitter Marci Polite (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East), and 13 assists, six kills (6-3-14, .214), five digs, and two solo blocks from junior setter Julie Grochowski (Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown).

 

NJCU will return to action on Tuesday, October 24 at 7 p.m. with an NJAC match against Rowan in Glassboro, NJ. Camden hosts Chestnut Hill College at 7 p.m. on October 19.