New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

GLASSBORO, NJ…Junior middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth) ripped 16 kills to move into 16^th place in Division III history in kills, and the New Jersey City University women’s volleyball team clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming New Jersey Athletic Conference tournament as the Gothic Knights won their 27^th match of the season with a 3-0 (30-18, 30-21, 30-24) victory over Rowan University, in an NJAC match at Esby Gymnasium.

 

NJCU—the defending NJAC champions—have now won 16 of its last 17 conference regular season and tournament matches. As the second place team in the league standings, the Gothic Knights will receive a bye into the NJAC semifinals, for the second consecutive year and the second time in program history.

 

With the sweep, NJCU—ranked No. 7 in the Mid-Atlantic Region, improves to 27-6 overall and 7-1 in the NJAC, winning for the 15^th time in the last 16 matches and the sixth match in a row. With 27 wins, the 2006 club now is second on the single-season victories chart in school history. The 7-1 NJAC record ties the single-season school record for conference victories, originally set last year.

 

Rowan’s season comes to an end at 6-18 overall and 2-6 in the league, losing its eighth consecutive match. The Profs lead the all-time series, 19-2. However, with the victory, NJCU snapped an 11-match losing streak against Rowan. It was the Knights’ first win over Rowan since October 21, 1995 and NJCU’s first victory in Glassboro in program history (1-7).

 

NJCU will host the NJAC semifinals on Thursday, November 2 at 7 p.m. against the winner of No. 3 seeded Rutgers-Newark and No. 6 Kean University. NJCU nipped Rutgers-Newark in Newark, NJ on October 3, by a 3-2 margin, and swept Kean on October 12. The Knights are currently riding a 28-match home court winning streak since the beginning of the 2004 season.

 

Cintron entered the match with 2,040 kills in her career, and climbed past St. Olaf College’s Nicole Trnka, who had 2,041 kills in 471 games from 1998-01. She now has 2,056 in 353 career games—almost 50 games fewer than anyone in the Top 15.

 

Cintron hit .750 overall with 16 kills and only one error (16-1-20), with 12 digs and six blocks. With 12 digs, she now has 1,497 in her career. She now needs three digs to become only the third player in Division III history with 2,000 kills and 1,500 digs in a career and the second player in NJCU history (both this season) to eclipse 1500 career digs.

 

Sophomore setter SOFIA GUTIERREZ (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) paced an offense which hit a combined .412 (52-17-85), as she delivered 46 assists. Now with 2,050 career assists, she is closing in on the program record of 2,088, held by teammate and junior NADIA DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Science).

 

Sophomore outside hitter JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) hit .500 overall for the second consecutive match as she uncorked 14 kills (14-4-20), while adding six digs. Sophomore middle blocker SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) chipped in 10 kills (10-7-21) and three blocks, while freshman opposite MICHELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth) planted nine kills (9-2-14), hit .500, and contributed seven digs and three aces.

 

Junior outside hitter GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) had eight digs, three aces and three assisted blocks. Sophomore libero LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) collected nine digs.

 

Rowan was limited to .099 hitting (24-16-81). Sophomore outside hitter Alexis Louie (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) had 10 kills, while freshman outside hitter Karen Ramirez (Bogota, NJ/Bogota) added eight kills and three aces. The Profs received 21 assists from freshman setter Chrissy McKay (Paramus, NJ/Paramus).

 

NJCU will close the 2006 regular season on Saturday, October 28 at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, where the Knights will compete in a quad-match against Stevens, SUNY-New Paltz, and City College of New York at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. Stevens is the No. 2 ranked team in the New York Region, while NP is listed seventh. NJCU already owns a 3-0 sweep of NP on October 6.