New Jersey City University Athletics

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JERSEY CITY, NJ…After a four-year run as champions of its own tournament, New Jersey City University extended City College of New York to five sets, before the Beavers defeated NJCU, 3-2, to dethrone the Gothic Knights and claim the championship at the 15^th annual Gothic Knight Invitational. NJCU hosted the six-team tournament on Saturday at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

CCNY (16-11), which made its only other appearance in the tournament final in 2001, won the crown by defeating NJCU 25-16, 25-27, 25-14, 23-25, 15-8.

The Gothic Knights (13-9) had won the tournament each year from 2004-07 and overall reached the title match of the tournament for the seventh consecutive year. In winning Pool B, NJCU posted 3-0 victories over both Medgar Evers College (25-1, 25-4, 25-8) and Rutgers-Newark (25-9, 25-5, 25-13).

CCNY was awarded a forfeit against York College (NY) (25-0, 25-0, 25-0) before sweeping William Paterson University, 25-19, 25-20, 25-22.

The Pioneers (16-6) finished third overall. In pool play, WPU scored a 3-0 (25-8, 25-3, 25-11) sweep of York College, before downing Rutgers-Newark in the third-place match, 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-11).

Newark (2-21) claimed fourth place in the tournament. The Scarlet Raiders opened the event with a 3-0 win over Medgar Evers College (25-16, 25-8, 25-14) before falling to NJCU and WPU. York (4-18) defeating Medgar Evers (0-23), 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-16) to claim fifth place overall.

In voting by the tournament's six head coaches, CCNY junior outside hitter Floriana Garo (Albania/Red River) was selected as the Most Valuable Player. She had 17 kills, 18 digs and eight service aces in the championship match against NJCU. Overall in two matches played, she compiled 33 kills, 29 digs and 10 aces.

NJCU senior outside hitter JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) was named to the All-Tournament Team for the second time in her career (2005), as she became the third player in school history to record 1,500 career points. She now has 1,525.0 points, highlighted by 1,323 kills. In three matches during the tournament, she had 24 kills, 14 digs and seven aces.

Senior middle blocker SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) was the second NJCU player voted to the All-Tournament Team. Now third in school history in sets played (439) and with 936 kills, she tallied 22 kills and four blocks. It was her second All-Tournament Team selection (2006).

Senior libero LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) had 47 digs in three matches to earn All-Tournament Team honors for the first time. She climbed two places into third place in school history with 1307 digs—most of any four-year defensive specialist in program history.

WPU had two players voted to the All-Tournament Team. Junior middle hitter Kelly Helfrich (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson) was selected for the second straight year. In three matches, she compiled 23 kills and 19 digs. WPU freshman setter/outside hitter Megan Maher (Wood-Ridge, NJ/Wood-Ridge), who had 11 kills against R-N in the third-place match, and had 23 kills and a .420 percentage (23-2-50) in three matches also was selected.

Newark sophomore middle blocker Na-Keta Michael (Newark, NJ/West Side) was the final player voted onto the All-Tournament Team by the coaches with 15 kills in three matches.

In a match that took only 46 minutes to complete, the Gothic Knights landed 21 aces on the Cougars. NJCU is 13-0 all-time against MEC—all wins via sweep. The 21 aces were a season high and the ninth time NJCU has served 10 or more as a team this year. The one point was the least scored by any NJCU opponent since the NCAA went to the 25-point scoring system this year and the Cougars lone point was scored on a Knights service error.

Freshman defensive specialist KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side) led the way with six aces while senior outside hitter JENNIFER CARVALHO (Rahway, NJ/Rahway) floored five aces. NJCU sophomore setter ALEX JOHANESEN (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) collected 17 assists and four aces. It was her 10^th match this year with at least three aces. Negron had nine digs.

LeBlanc finished with four aces and three kills, while Torres chipped in five kills. Junior middle blocker JENNIFER HATCH (Paterson, NJ/Mary Help of Christians Academy) hit .400 with four kills (4-0-10).

NJCU hit .381 as a team with 21 kills (21-5-42) and limited the Cougars to a -.311 hitting percentage and only five kills (5-19-45).

In the match where LeBlanc exceeded 1,500 career points, she tallied more kills by herself than the entire Scarlet Raider squad. LeBlanc, who pounded back-to-back kills to make it 15-5 in the opening set to reach the milestone, finished with 10 kills (10-2-20) while hitting .400. She added eight digs, two aces and two blocks.

NJCU has won seven of its last eight meetings against the Scarlet Raiders; Newark still leads the all-time series, 31-8.

Johanesen delivered 20 assists. Carvalho and Negron each had 11 digs, while Carvalho chipped in four kills. Torres finished with four kills and two blocks and Hatch collected three kills and two solo stuffs.

NJCU had 22 kills overall and limited Newark to -.183 hitting percentage with nine kills (9-22-71).

The Beavers needed five sets to dethrone NJCU, but were able to accomplish the feat thanks to the stellar play of Garo who had a double-double of 18 digs, 17 kills (17-4-56, .232) and eight of CCNY's 16 team aces. CCNY also took a 14-13 lead in the all-time series in the win.

Freshman outside hitter Jamie Edindjiklian (Long Beach, NY/Long Beach) had 14 kills, 12 digs and three aces while sophomore middle blocker Melissa Blass (Oneonta, NY/Oneonta) finished with 10 kills. Freshman setter Alexis Kinsman (Norwich, CT/Fitch) had 44 assists and four kills (4-0-5, .800).

Negron posted 27 digs for NJCU in defeat. Torres slammed 13 kills (13-5-40, .200) and two aces while Carvalho had a double-double of 13 kills, 12 digs, three aces and three blocks.

LeBlanc added 11 kills and Johanesen contributed 36 assists. Hatch finished with five kills and four blocks. Junior outside hitter MELISSA LOO (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) provided 10 digs off the bench.

In the first set, CCNY led 16-13 before scoring nine of the final 12 points as Garo collected three kills and two aces during the spurt. NJCU led the second set 22-17 before an ace and two Knight attack errors cut the host's lead to 22-21. Carvalho and Torres each had kills to put NJCU in front by two, but a CCNY kill and an NJCU error, followed by a Garo kill gave CCNY a 25-24 edge. A kill and ace by Carvalho put NJCU back on top before Torres finished the game with a kill.

The Beavers jumped out to a 21-8 lead in the third set and were never challenged to claim a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Knights trailed by seven points, 21-14, late in the fourth set before unleashing an 11-2 run behind eight straight serves by Carvalho to force a fifth set. Three straight kills by Torres cut it to 21-18, before two CCNY attack errors and another kill by Torres tied it at 21-21. NJCU held a 24-22 after the teams traded four straight attack errors. Another attack error by CCNY gave NJCU the set, 25-23.

But in the final set, CCNY vaulted out to a 10-3 lead on two kills by Garo and five Gothic Knight attack errors. Edindjiklian finished the tournament with a kill to give CCNY the crown.

NJCU will play the final match of the 2008 home schedule on Tuesday, October 21 at 7 p.m. when it hosts Rutgers University-Camden in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match. It will be Senior Day at NJCU, as the Knights will honor Carvalho, Hatch, LeBlanc, Negron and Torres.