ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY…Freshman outside hitter
MARLEY PENA-GUZMAN (Atlanta, GA/Central Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, GA)) and freshman outside hitter
CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) combined for 35 kills and 22 digs, and freshman setter
JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) delivered 45 assists and 19 digs, as
New Jersey City University overcame illness and handed previously unbeaten Bard College a 3-1 (31-29, 23-30, 30-28, 30-24) setback, in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Wednesday at Stevenson Gymnasium.
NJCU improves to 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the Metro Division, while Bard falls to 3-1 and 1-1 Metro. NJCU leads the all-time series, 13-3, and has won 13 of the last 15 meetings. The win is the first divisional victory in the career of first-year head coach
CARLO EDRA.
NJCU won despite two starters—
Beaumont and junior middle blocker
KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton)—suffering from a stomach virus, which at times altered the lineup on the court.
Despite his illness,
Beaumont had his best all-around match yet, dishing 45 assists with 19 digs and two blocks.
Pena-Guzman collected 19 kills (19-11-42, .190) and added 12 digs and two blocks.
CHRIS EDRA supplied a career-high 16 kills (16-9-49, .143) and 10 digs.
Junior opposite
THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) finished with 11 kills and a .321 percentage (11-2-28), adding nine digs and two aces.
Rodgers contributed seven digs, five blocks (two solo) and five kills.
Sophomore libero
FELIPE SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) defended 10 digs as NJCU gathered 73 total digs as a team, limiting Bard to a .127 team percentage (34-14-158).
The Raptors received 13 kills (13-5-33, .242), 10 digs and four blocks from junior outside hitter Henry Schenker (Verona, NJ/Verona) while freshman opposite Brice Ormesher (Chicago, IL/Latin School of Chicago) had 11 kills (11-4-42) and 15 digs. Senior outside hitter Zachary Hamaker (Walnut Creek, CA/Las Lomas) defended 28 digs and three blocks. Sophomore setter Steven Alday (Phoenix, AZ/St. Mary’s) had a double-double with 13 assists and 10 digs.
Game one was back and forth, until NJCU gained a 29-28 lead and won the opener when Bard committed an error. The Raptors evened the match by winning game two, 30-23.
In game three, NJCU held a 29-25 margin before two errors and a miscue on a free ball allowed Bard to claw within one, 29-28. But after a timeout,
CHRIS EDRA powered a kill through a double block to win the game.
In game four, NJCU led Bard 20-19, before outscoring the Raptors 10-5 in the final third of the game, as the Knights strong serving and defense disrupted the opponent’s offensive attack.
NJCU is in action on Thursday, January 31 at 7 p.m. against Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, NY. The Knights defeated the Bridges, 3-0, on January 26.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
