New Jersey City University Athletics

 

HOBOKEN, NJ…Junior middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth) moved into a tie for 12^th place in NCAA Division III history in total kills and became just the third player ever to record 2000 kills and 1500 digs in a career, and sophomore setter SOFIA GUTIERREZ (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) moved into first place in school history in career assists, as the New Jersey City University women’s volleyball team defeated SUNY-New Paltz and City College of New York, after falling to Stevens Institute of Technology, in a non-conference quad match at Stevens’ Canavan Arena.

 

NJCU—ranked No. 6 in the Mid-Atlantic Region, improves to 29-7 overall, winning for the 17^th time in the last 19 matches and the 8-out-of-9. NJCU is one victory shy of matching the 2004 club’s single-season ledger for most victories in program history.

 

NJCU opened the day with a 3-1 loss to Stevens—the No. 2 ranked team in the New York Region—as the Ducks (26-5) snapped NJCU’s six-match winning streak, 30-21, 21-30, 30-27, 30-26. NJCU leads the all-time series, which began in 1986, 16-14, but Stevens has won six of the last seven meetings.

 

The second match of the day was a battle of teams ranked sixth in their regions, with New Paltz (24-9) owning that slot in the New York Region. However, for the second time this season, NJCU defeated the Hawks, outlasting NP in five games, 26-30, 31-29, 30-19, 23-30, 15-8. NJCU previously blanked the Hawks, 3-0, on October 6. The Gothic Knights lead the all-time series, 3-2.

 

The final contest of the day resulted in NJCU improving to 17-1 this season in matches that last just three games, as the Knights swept CCNY (8-18), 30-28, 30-17, 30-18. By winning game two, NJCU improved to 32-4 overall in the second game of matches this season. NJCU evened the all-time series with CCNY at 13-13, since 1983. The Knights have won the last three meetings.

 

Historically, Cintron—who had 75 kills in the three matches and hit an astounding .684 (75-8-98)—entered the day with 2,056 career winners. Now with 2,131 in 365 games, she is tied for 12^th all-time with Dominican (IL)’s Mary Welk, who had that many kills in 537 games from 2000-03.

 

On the day, she vaulted past three players on the list; Washington University (MO)’s Jennifer Martz (1995-98, 2,068 kills), Wheaton (MA)’s Neva Metcalf (1996-99, 2,084), and Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Denise Cobb (1990-93, 2,103).

 

Gutierrez had 84 assists in three matches to give her 2,134 in her career. With junior NADIA DaSILVA (Newark, NJ/Science) posting 40 assists in the three contests for 2,128 in three years, Gutierrez leap-frogged her teammate for the all-time lead in assists in program history.

 

In NJCU’s loss to Stevens, NJCU was led by Cintron, who slammed 26 kills and only made four errors in 37 attacks for a .595 hitting percentage. She added 10 digs and 10 blocks (four solo) for a triple-SOFIA GUTIERREZ" src="/images/wvball/2006/10/29/10-17-06%20Sofia%20Gutierrez%206.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>double—the seventh triple-double of her career and the third this season. It marked the 24^th time in her career she has powered at least 25 kills in a match. She entered the day with 1497 digs, and became the second player in NJCU history—both this season—to reach the 1500-dig plateau for a career.

 

Sophomore outside hitter JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) contributed nine kills (9-3-23, .261), eight digs, three aces and two blocks, while sophomore middle blocker SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) chipped in six kills and hit .455 (6-1-11).

 

Gutierrez distributed 27 assists and added eight digs and two blocks to pace an offense which hit .387 in defeat (48-12-93). DaSilva delivered 12 assists.

 

Sophomore libero LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) dished 14 digs, while junior outside hitter GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth)—the other NJCU player with 1,500 career digs—added 11 more to her all-time record.

*************************NJCU MATCH CAPSULE 2*************************

For the 14^th time in her career and the fifth time this season, Cintron posted 30 or more kills in a match, and NJCU improved to 11-3 in her career when she reaches that milestone. Cintron was unstoppable, planting 34 kills with only two errors in 40 attacks for an jaw-dropping .800 hitting percentage, adding eight digs and three blocks, including the 250^th solo block of her career.

 

Gutierrez posted a double-double with 41 assists and 10 digs, as NJCU hit .445 as a team with 71 kills (71-18-119).

 

LeBlanc smashed 16 kills and hit .483 with just two errors (16-2-29), adding nine digs. Torres was solid with eight kills (8-4-19, .211) and seven blocks (three solo), while freshman opposite MICHELLE CINTRON (Newark, NJ/Elizabeth) chipped in eight kills (8-5-18, .167). Negron defended 15 digs, while Perez added 10. DaSilva dished 14 assists.

*************************NJCU MATCH CAPSULE 3*************************

LIZZELLE CINTRON posted her second double-double of the afternoon in the win over CCNY, as she hit .571 with 15 kills (15-3-21), 12 digs, and four blocks (three solo). LeBlanc hit .524 with 13 kills (13-2-21). NJCU hit .485 as a team in the match (44-11-68) behind its two most potent offensive weapons.

 

Gutierrez dished 16 assists with two aces, with DaSilva adding 14 assists. Torres had five kills (5-2-9, .333), while Perez chipped in seven digs and five kills.

 

NJCU will return to action on Thursday, November 2 at 7 p.m. when it begins defense of its New Jersey Athletic Conference championship in the NJAC Semifinals, as the No. 2 seeded Gothic Knights will host the winner of #3 Rutgers-Newark and #6 Kean University at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. NJCU is riding a 28-match home court winning streak.