New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Senior setter MAURICE WASHINGTON (Orlando, FL/Edgewater (FL) narrowly missed a triple-double, as he collected 40 assists, nine kills, nine digs and seven blocks and New Jersey City University stuffed a combined 19.0 blocks as a team as the Gothic Knights downed the College of Mount Saint Vincent, 3-1, by scores of 30-16, 30-18, 28-30, 30-23, in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Monday at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

 

NJCU wins its third straight match to improve to 14-7 overall and 7-4 in the division, while earning its fifth consecutive win over CSMV (8-12, 3-6 Metro). NJCU leads the all-time series, 20-18. NJCU hit .360 overall as a team in the match with 54 kills (54-14-111).

 

Washington, who now has exactly 4300 career assists and 375 total blocks, dished the 40 assists to quarterback the offense, while getting involved in the attack himself. He had nine kills and only one error in 15 swings for a .533 percentage. Three of his seven blocks were solo rejections.

 

Freshman middle hitter JOSE SILVA (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) became the second Gothic Knight this year to reach double-figures in blocks—both occurring against CMSV—as he stuffed 10 block assists. He added four kills (4-1-9, .333) and landed three aces after entering the match with only three aces the entire season.

 

Sophomore outside hitter KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) was one of three players in double figures in kills, finishing with a .611 hitting percentage, on 12 kills and one error (12-1-18). He added 14 digs, three aces and two assisted blocks. Sophomore outside hitter THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) chalked up 12 kills (12-7-30, .167), six digs and four blocks, and senior opposite ROBERT GRIFFITHS (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) chipped in 10 kills (10-4-29, .207), six digs and six blocks.

 

Freshman middle hitter DANIEL CRESPO (Paterson, NJ/Clifton) took advantage of limited attacks, planting seven kills without an error in nine swings, for an astronomical .778 rate. He defended 10 digs with three blocks and two aces.

 

The Dolphins received 16 kills, 11 digs and two blocks from junior outside hitter Arnold Ross (Wilton, ME/Mount Blue), and 11 kills (11-4-25, .280) from sophomore outside hitter T.J. Pufahl (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage). Sophomore setter Chris Dotoratos (Bronx, NY/Salesian) had 43 assists and three blocks.

 

Junior middle blocker Tanner Munroe (Milford, CT/Foran) hit .412 overall with eight kills and one error (8-1-17). Freshman outside hitter Rob Hockenjos (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) contributed 18 digs and five blocks, and junior libero Nick Canzano (Farmington, NY/Victor) added 13 digs.

 

In game one, NJCU surged ahead 8-2 and led 16-5 after a Crespo ace, never looking back for a 30-16 win.

 

In game two, NJCU again vaulted in front 8-2, as Silva had two aces, and Griffiths and Crespo combined for a block. A kill by Rodgers and combined Washington/Crespo rejection made it 13-4 and Griffiths and Silva closed the middle with another block and a 17-6 cushion. CMSV closed within 19-14 on a Hockenjos block. But a kill by Crespo made it 25-16, and Silva teamed with Washington and then Rodgers for stuffs, and NJCU won 30-18.

 

NJCU led 7-1 in game three as Silva and Siqueira combined for two blocks, and a Silva/Rodgers stuff made it 15-9. Behind the serving of Ross, the Dolphins chipped away at the lead, 16-13. With NJCU leading 25-21, senior middle blocker Dan Williams (Brick Township, NJ/St. Rose) had two blocks and Ross made it 25-24 with a kill. NJCU moved ahead 27-24, before CMSV scored six of the final seven points of the frame. A block by Pufahl tied it at 27-27, before Munroe put the Dolphins ahead 28-27. An ace by Williams made it 29-27, and CMSV won the game on an NJCU error.

 

However in game four NJCU took the lead early and did not relinquish it. Washington/Silva blocked another shot for a 12-7 lead before Rodgers slammed three consecutive kills. Washington uncorked back-to-back solo blocks on the right side and then followed with a kill for a 23-12 lead, and his back row dump made it 27-18. NJCU won the match on a combined block by Crespo and Griffiths.

 

NJCU returns to action on Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. when it visits No. 6 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology in a NECVA Metro Division match in Hoboken, NJ. CMSV hosts Ramapo that night.