New Jersey City University Athletics

 

MAHWAH, NJ…New Jersey City University hit .315 overall, but in a tight match, Ramapo College was even more accurate, finishing with a .402 percentage, while gaining a 3-0 (30-25, 30-26, 30-27) win over the Gothic Knights in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match played on Thursday at the Bill Bradley Center.

 

RCNJ improves to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in the league while NJCU drops to 11-7 and 5-4 Metro. RCNJ has won the last four meetings between the long-time rivals. NJCU’s .315 percentage was its highest in a loss since hitting .357 at Bard College on January 30, 2006. Ramapo finished with 57 kills (57-14-107), while NJCU had 46 winners (46-17-92).

 

Sophomore outside hitter KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) hit .444 overall with a match-high 16 kills (16-4-27). He needs 21 more kills for 500 in his career. Sophomore outside hitter THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) collected 12 kills and 11 digs for his ninth career double-double.

 

Senior opposite ROBERT GRIFFITHS (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) increased his career kills total to 1,104 and his digs mark to 899 as he finished with 10 digs and nine kills, hitting .438 (9-2-16). He needs one more dig to become the second player in school history with 1,000 kills and 900 digs for a career.

 

Senior setter MAURICE WASHINGTON (Orlando, FL/Edgewater (FL) delivered 38 assists and three blocks. Freshman middle hitter DANIEL CRESPO (Paterson, NJ/Clifton) had three assisted blocks.

 

Sophomore middle blocker Shane Donohue (Freehold Township, NJ/Freehold) had 14 kills (14-4-28, .357). Sophomore middle blocker Tom Kohler (East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) hit .579 with 11 kills and no errors (11-0-19), adding two aces and two blocks. Freshman outside hitter Elvis Cabrera (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) chipped in a .562 percentage on 10 kills (10-1-16), adding four blocks. Sophomore setter Jairo Sierra (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) tallied 45 assists.

 

In game one NJCU was within one at 13-12, before a 6-1 run put RCNJ in front to stay, 19-13, hitting .531 in the game (19-2-32).

 

NJCU’s game one percentage of .424 dwindled to .057 in game two (11-9-35), and despite a four-point final, the Knights could not overcome the nine attack errors.

 

In game three, Griffiths, Rodgers, and Siqueira each had five kills, but could not overcome the Roadrunners who prevailed by three points. Griffiths was 5-for-5 in kills/attacks in the frame.

 

NJCU will return to action on Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m. when it hosts Polytechnic University in an NECVA Metro Division match at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.