BOX SCORE
JERSEY CITY, NJ…New Jersey City University senior middle blocker SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) had nearly as many kills as the entire Lehman College team, finishing with 12 winners and a .500 hitting percentage to move into fourth place in school history in kills, as the Gothic Knights posted a 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-9) victory against the Lightning in a non-conference match on Thursday at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
With the win, NJCU wins for the eighth time in nine matches and 10-of-12 overall, improving to 10-5 overall. Meanwhile, Lehman falls to 8-6. The Knights lead the all-time series, 19-8, with seven consecutive wins.
It marks the 10th consecutive season NJCU has reached double figures in victories and the 16th time in the last 18 seasons.
NJCU prevailed in 58 minutes, marking the fourth straight victory for the Knights that was decided in less than 60 minutes.
NJCU reached double figures in service aces for the eighth time this season, finishing with 11. As a team, the Knights hit .202 (33-16-84) while Lehman hit -.080 with 15 kills (15-21-75).
Torres tallied 12 kills and only two errors in 20 attempts to hit .500, while adding one solo block. Now with 868 career kills, she moved past Cheryl Nitschke (1992-95, 857 kills) for fourth place in school history.
Sophomore setter #ALEX JOHANESEN# (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) had another outstanding effort with 27 assists, five of NJCU's 11 aces, and three kills.
Senior outside hitter
JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) amassed a match-high 11 digs and seven kills while junior middle blocker
JENNIFER HATCH (Paterson, NJ/Mary Help of Christians Academy) floored six kills (6-2-11) hitting .364.
Senior libero
LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) defended 10 digs while rookie defensive specialist
KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side) landed three aces.
In defeat for the Lightning, sophomore outside hitter Jillian Acevedo (Bronx, NY/Lehman) passed 10 digs and freshman setter Lisa Jagdeo (Bronx, NY/Lehman) dished 13 assists. Freshman outside hitter Gerri-Ann Martin (Bronx, NY/JFK) had seven of the team's 15 kills.
The opening set was back-and-forth, with 11 ties and five lead changes, Lehman hit -.179 in the game, but NJCU only hit .028. Even at 19-19, Torres and Johanesen tallied kills and two Lightning attack errors made it 23-19, before Torres added another kill. Freshman outside hitter #TABITHA JORDAN# (Bayonne, NJ/Memorial) landed one of her four kills to seal the game.
Both teams hit substantially better in set two—with NJCU hitting .292 (12-5-24) and Lehman at .176. It was 14-13 in the frame before NJCU unleashed an 8-1 run to seize a 22-14 lead and kills by Torres accounted for four of the Knights' final 11 points, winning 25-19.
NJCU, which reached double figures in kills in every game, rolled in the third set, hitting .375 as a team (10-1-24). The Knights vaulted out to a 9-2 lead and never looked back, before LeBlanc closed the match with a kill.
NJCU is right back in action tomorrow when it faces Baruch College (10-12) and Messiah College (10-5) in a tri-match at the ARC Arena in New York, NY. Lehman hosts SUNYIT on October 11 at 11 a.m.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
