New Jersey City University Athletics

 

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Senior middle blocker LIZZELLE CINTRON (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) slammed 20 kills—more than the entire Rowan University team—moving into sixth place in NCAA Division I, II and III history with 2,807, and New Jersey City University hit a collective .388 as the Gothic Knights wrapped up the New Jersey Athletic Conference regular season schedule with a perfect 8-0 ledger, sweeping the Profs, 3-0 (30-17, 30-15, 30-11) on Tuesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

 

NJCU extends its home court winning streak to 41 consecutive matches while improving to 26-4 overall and 8-0 in the NJAC. The 26-4 mark is the best after 30 matches in the 25-year history of the program. It is the second time in school history that NJCU has finished the conference schedule undefeated, last accomplishing the feat in 2005 en route to the NJAC championship. NJCU is a staggering 25-2 in its last 27 NJAC regular season and tournament matches.

 

Meanwhile, the victory extends the second-longest winning streak in school history to 14 straight matches and 24 consecutive games. NJCU is five games shy of matching the longest streak of 29 set in 2004, and the Knights are now 18-0 this year in three-game matches. NJCU is 36-1 in three-game matches over the last two seasons and 73-9 over the last four years.

 

The loss for Rowan (9-15, 4-4 NJAC) was the sixth straight for the Profs. If Ramapo College wins one of its final two league matches, Rowan will drop to fifth in the conference standings, meaning it would open the NJAC Quarterfinals on October 30 on the road. Rowan still leads the all-time series against NJCU, 19-3.

 

Cintron pounded 20 kills on 30 attempts (20-2-30) for a .600 hitting percentage, adding six digs and five blocks, as she increased her career points total to 3,497.5. With the 20 kills, she moved into sixth place in the history of collegiate volleyball at any level in 477 games with 2,807 kills, eclipsing Stacey Gordon of The Ohio State University, who has 2,798 kills in 457 games in her Division I career (2001-04).

 

With 23 assists, freshman setter ALEX JOHANESEN (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) paced an offense which hit .388 (39-6-85), committing only six errors the entire match—the highest hitting SARAH TORRES" src="/images/wvball/2007/10/23/09-13-07%20Sarah%20Torres%2010.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>percentage against an NJAC opponent since hitting .412 at Rowan last season.

 

Sophomore outside hitter MICHELLE CINTRON (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) and junior opposite SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) posted identical lines of six kills and .312 percentages (6-1-16), with Torres adding two blocks, giving her 250 total blocks for her career. Senior setter NADIA DaSILVA DUCOS (Newark, NJ/Science) had 10 assists and two blocks.

 

Senior GLORINELL PEREZ (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) defended a match-high 12 digs for NJCU, while junior defensive specialist LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) finished with nine digs and four aces. Freshman defensive specialist THERESA CARVALHO (Rahway, NJ/Rahway) also served four aces.

 

Rowan hit -.045 overall and had three fewer kills as a team (17-21-88) than LIZZELLE CINTRON had individually. Junior outside hitter Alexis Louie (Sewell, NJ/Washington Township) led Rowan with five kills (5-2-19), six digs and a .158 percentage. Sophomore setter Chrissy McKay (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) tallied 11 assists and five digs.

 

NJCU struggled offensively in game one, hitting .077 (7-5-26), but turned on the ignition in game two, not committing an error in the frame (14-0-31), with a .452 rate. NJCU registered one of its most dominant attack efforts of the season in game three, flooring 18 kills and only one error (18-1-28) for a .607 percentage.

 

NJCU will conclude the 2007 regular season on Thursday, October 25 at 7 p.m. when it hosts Lehman College in a non-conference match at the JMAC. NJCU will also celebrate Senior Night, and will honor the winningest senior class in school history in Cintron, DaSilva Ducos and Perez. Rowan returns to action on Wednesday, October 24 at Immaculata University in Immaculata, PA at 7 p.m.