NEW YORK, NY…Freshman outside hitter
CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) had a double-double in his collegiate debut, finishing with 13 digs and 11 kills, and
New Jersey City University had four players in double figures in kills, but it wasn’t enough to make Chris’ older brother
CARLO EDRA victorious in his collegiate coaching debut, as Baruch College outlasted the Gothic Knights, 3-1 (30-23, 30-26, 29-31, 30-23) in a non-conference match at the ARC Arena.
NJCU drops its season opener (0-1), but still leads the all-time series, 15-11. The Bearcats had already played three matches prior to this contest and are now 2-2 overall.
After graduating four-year seniors
MAURICE WASHINGTON (Orlando, FL) and
ROBERT GRIFFITHS (Edison, NJ), two of the top players in program history,
CARLO EDRA had four freshmen in the starting lineup playing in their first collegiate action, and a veteran in a brand new position.
Freshman setter
JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) delivered 46 assists and three blocks, while
CHRIS EDRA had 11 kills (11-8-35, .086), 13 digs and two aces. Junior middle blocker
KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) had a team-high 14 kills (14-13-41) and two blocks in his first collegiate match in the middle, moving over from an outside hitter role the previous two seasons.
Freshman outside hitter
MARLEY PENA-GUZMAN (Atlanta, GA/Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, GA)) tallied 13 kills (13-11-36, .056) and seven digs, while junior opposite
THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) finished with 11 kills (11-6-31, .161), eight digs and two blocks.
For Baruch, junior Danial Levent (Forest Hills, NY/American Studies) dominated the match, posting a triple-double of 18 kills (18-8-39, .256), 14 digs, and 10 blocks (seven assisted)—all match highs—while recording 25.5 of Baruch’s 72.0 total points.
Also for the Bearcats, sophomore Jonathan Tuwaidan (Woodside, NY/W.C. Bryant) had 10 kills (10-3-25, .280). Sophomore Radu Wyrwas (Bialystok, Poland/Grover Cleveland) dished out 44 assists, nine digs, and a .385 hitting percentage with six kills (6-1-13). Freshman middle blocker Jan Wojdat (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) hit .308 with six kills (6-2-13 and five blocks. Baruch hit .221 overall as a team (54-25-131), with a high of .267 in game one (12-4-30).
NJCU is back in action on Wednesday, January 23 at 7 p.m. when it visits Lehman College in Bronx, NY.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
