New Jersey City University Athletics

 

BRONX, NY…Freshman outside hitter MARLEY PENA-GUZMAN (Atlanta, GA/Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, GA)) slammed 23 kills and had 14 digs as four New Jersey City University players registered double doubles, but Lehman College snapped the Gothic Knights’ nine-match winning streak in the series, surviving for a 3-2 (34-32, 32-34, 30-24, 28-30, 15-13) decision in a non-conference match on Wednesday night at the APEX Arena.

 

NJCU, which fell to 0-2 overall, still leads the all-time series, 14-13, but suffered its first loss to Lehman (1-0) since a 3-0 setback on March 30, 2002. The match was Lehman’s first of the season.

 

Pena-Guzman collected a match-best 23 kills (23-13-59) and hit .169 with 14 digs, while junior middle blocker KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) chalked up 17 kills (17-13-48), 17 digs, four aces and two blocks.

 

Junior opposite THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) finished with 15 digs, 14 kills (14-11-39, .077) and two aces, while freshman outside hitter CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) collected 14 kills, 12 digs and two blocks.

 

Freshman setter JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) dished 45 assists, adding eight digs and three aces. Freshman setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) finished with 14 assists.

 

NJCU was limited to .085 hitting, as three Lehman players had at least 14 digs, highlighted by junior Miguel Pena (Las Vegas, NV/Las Vegas) with 27. Freshman Leuris Cruz (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy) contributed a team-high 20 kills (20-7-57), 17 digs and four blocks while hitting .228, and rookie R.J. LeBlanc (South Rockwood, MI/Airport) had 13 kills, four blocks and a .273 percentage (13-4-33).

 

Senior setter Joel Sanchez (Bronx, NY/Lehman) delivered 42 assists and senior Leonardo Gonzalez (Mamaroneck, NY/Colombia) defended 14 digs.

 

In game one, NJCU led 22-15, before a 9-2 run, highlighted by two Sanchez aces and three NJCU attack errors, allowed Lehman to tie it 24-24. After three ties, NJCU moved ahead 29-27, before two errors again allowed Lehman to even it. NJCU led 30-29 before committing a service error, but the Knights twice tied it, including a Rodgers winner for 32-32, but two attack errors gave Lehman the final points for a 34-32 win.

 

Game two was evenly played, and knotted at 24-24, before kills by Rodgers and Pena-Guzman pushed NJCU in front 27-24. Two more winners by Siqueira and Pena-Guzman made it 29-25, before Lehman scored five straight for a 30-29 lead. The schools traded attack errors and the lead. The Lightning had a chance for a 2-0 lead in the match before committing two more errors, and Edra finished the 34-32 win with a kill.

 

Lehman led for most of the third game, pulling in front 27-20, before winning 30-24. Cruz hit .625 with six kills (6-1-8) in the frame.

 

Game four was also tightly played until NJCU gained a 27-23 advantage after three Lehman miscues. The Lightning clawed within one, 28-27 and 29-28, but kills by Rodriguez and Pena-Guzman sealed the 30-28 decision.

 

NJCU vaulted ahead 5-0 in the decisive fifth game, only to see Lehman close within 7-6. A kill by Pena-Guzman extended the margin to 11-8 before winners by Sanchez and Cruz followed by an NJCU error saw the match deadlocked at 11-11. Two more errors helped Lehman build a 13-11 cushion. Pena-Guzman cut it to 13-12 with a kill before LeBlanc responded with a winner. Rodgers again kept NJCU alive with a kill, for a 14-13 deficit, but a setting error on match point ended the contest.

 

NJCU will open its 2008 home schedule on Saturday, January 26 when it hosts Brooklyn College and Villa Julie College in a tri-match, beginning at 1 p.m.