New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Junior middle blocker KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton)­ collected match highs of 20 digs and 18 kills, and freshman setter JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) delivered 40 assists as New Jersey City University rallied from a game one setback to defeat SUNY Purchase, 3-1 (18-30, 30-20, 30-27, 30-24) in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Tuesday at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

               

NJCU (4-3, 2-0 NECVA Metro) wins its third consecutive match and fourth in five outings, while the Panthers fall to 1-3 (1-3 Metro). NJCU leads the all-time series, 4-0, but for the first time did not sweep Purchase. It was the first meeting between the schools since 2005 and first as conference opponents; the Panthers, who were playing their first-ever match in Jersey City, joined the NECVA this season.

 

Rodgers finished with the 19^th double-double of his career and second of the season, defending a career-best 20 digs, while notching 15 or more kills in a match for the third time in six contests this year. He hit .130 (18-12-46), with two blocks.

 

THIAGO SIQUEIRA" src="/images/mvball/2008/2/5/01-26-08%20Thiago%20Siqueira%203.jpg" width=300 align=left border=0>Junior opposite THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) tallied 14 kills (14-5-33) and hit .273 with 10 digs and three blocks. It was his 14^th career double-double. Beaumont, who played outside hitter in the first game, chalked up all 40 of his assists in the final three games, nearly earning a triple-double, as he bagged nine digs and seven kills (7-3-21).

 

Freshman middle blocker SHAWN McCORMICK (North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick) and freshman outside hitter AJ SAFAVI (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) each notched career highs with eight kills. Safavi, who hit 8-5-19 (.158), added a career-best 16 digs. Freshman middle blocker KENDELL BASS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had three blocks. Sophomore libero FELIPE SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) dished nine assists.

 

Purchase was led by sophomore opposite Daniel Grabowski-Clark (Farmington, CT/Farmington) with 19 kills (10-4-36, .167), 18 digs, eight assists and three blocks. Senior setter Bic Cass (Brookline, MA/Brookline) had 19 assists, eight digs, six kills, two aces and two blocks. Senior middle blocker Aaron Waytkus (Hoosick Falls, NY/Hoosic Valley) contributed five kills (5-2-16, .188) and four blocks.

 

Trailing 12-10 in game one, NJCU gave away points, committing errors on nine of the next 14 series, and fell behind 23-13. Purchase held a 26-18 margin before the Knights committed four straight attack errors and the Panthers won 30-18.

 

NJCU rebounded to take game two, 30-20. The Knights exploded ahead to a 15-6 cushion and were never challenged, leading by at least 10 points for much of the frame.

 

The NJCU offense burst onto the scene in game three, as the Knights pounded out 20 kills and hit .227 (20-10-44), behind 15 assists by Beaumont. Meanwhile, Rodgers banged out seven kills in the game (7-3-14), and THIAGO SIQUEIRA and Safavi each had five kills; Safavi hit .300 (5-2-10) and had seven digs.

 

NJCU would need all the offense in the tightly played game. Purchase led 15-13 after one of NJCU’s 16 service errors in the match. But a 10-2 run, powered by three Rodgers kills, and aided by four opponent errors made it 23-17. The Knights continued to lead 24-20, before two NJCU errors, an ace, and a kill by Waytkus drew Purchase within 26-25. However, two kills by Safavi sandwiched around a McCormick winner made it 29-25, and the Panthers served an error on game point, as NJCU seized control of the match, 2-1.

 

NJCU had another outstanding offensive effort in game four, with 16 kills (16-8-45, .178), paced by 15 more assists by Beaumont, and THIAGO SIQUEIRA hit .600 in the game (6-0-10). Rodgers cemented his night with five more kills as NJCU pulled ahead by scores of 10-4, 17-9 and 20-13. A winner by Cass shaved the NJCU lead to 24-20, and two attack errors by the Knights allowed the margin to slip to three, 26-23, before a Panther service and attack error gave the hosts breathing room at 28-23. Kills by Siqueira and McCormick sealed the match.

 

NJCU will return to action on Thursday, February 7 at 6 p.m. in a non-conference road match at City College of New York. Purchase hosts Southern Vermont College on Wednesday, February 6 at 7 p.m.