New Jersey City University Athletics

 

JERSEY CITY, NJ…New Jersey City University had 21 more kills than Lancaster Bible College, and six more blocks, but committed 66 errors, and could not hold on to a 2-1 lead in the match as the Chargers stunned NJCU, 3-2 (19-30, 30-19, 23-30, 30-28, 15-13) in a non-divisional North East Collegiate Volleyball Association match on Tuesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. It was the first-ever meeting between the schools in any sport.

 

LBC improves to 5-7 overall with the win, while NJCU (11-12) falls back below .500 for the first time since it was 2-3 on January 30. The Knights have lost five of their last six matches following a three-match winning streak. Game five was tied 13-13 before LBC scored the final two points.

 

LBC was led by senior middle blocker Dave Glerum (York, PA), as he led the way with 17 kills, a .216 percentage (17-9-37) and 10 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Jason Henry-Ruhl (Lititz, PA) had a double-double with 14 digs and 11 kills (11-6-41, .122). Freshman opposite Jake Harbold (Chiang Mai, Thailand) had 19 digs, while junior setter Ben Bewley (Lancaster, PA) delivered 36 assists and 14 digs. The Chargers combined for 70 digs as a team. NJCU had 77 digs in defeat.

 

Junior middle hitter KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) posted his 24^th career double-double and his seventh of the season, collecting team highs of 16 kills (16-10-45, .133) and 12 digs, and a match-best eight blocks (seven assisted). Junior opposite THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, KEVIN RODGERS" src="/images/mvball/2008/3/4/02-05-08%20Kevin%20Rodgers%2028.jpg" width=150 align=left border=0>NJ/Science) had his 20^th career double-double and eighth of the year, finishing with 15 kills, 11 digs and three blocks.

 

In all, four NJCU players had double figures in kills in defeat. Freshman outside hitter MARLEY PENA-GUZMAN (Atlanta, GA/Central Gwinnett (GA)) tallied 12 kills (12-6-32, .188) and 10 digs for his fourth double-double. Freshman JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) started the match at middle blocker, moved to outside hitter and finished the contest as the team’s setter—his primary position this season—and collected 10 kills (10-6-34, .118), nine digs, seven assists, three blocks and two aces. Rookie setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) matched his career high with 45 assists. Sophomore libero FELIPE SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) tallied 14 digs.

 

A crucial loss for the Knights came early in game three with NJCU leading 4-1. Freshman outside hitter CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens), who was leading the team with nine kills through two games and hit .286 overall (9-3-21) with six digs, went down with an apparent knee injury and did not return.

 

In game one, NJCU never trailed and cruised to a 30-19 victory, as Edra capped the game with four consecutive kills. LBC opened up a 14-7 lead in game two, aided by multiple net violations and climbed in front 20-9 on a Bewley ace, winning the game 30-19.

 

NJCU vaulted ahead 4-1 in game three before the match was stopped when Edra became injured. The Knights never trailed in game three, but the Chargers pulled with one on two occasions, including 24-23. However, NJCU chalked up the final six points of the game. Beaumont slammed a kill, followed with an ace, and Rodgers added a winner for a 27-23 lead. Rodgers stuffed a tipped shot and LBC committed three consecutive errors as the Knights took a 2-1 lead in the match thanks to a 30-23 win.

 

NJCU appeared to have the match in hand in game four, leading by several points nearly the entire game. LBC chipped away, and pulled with one on two occasions before finally tying it at 22-22 on an NJCU attack error. LBC moved ahead by two, 24-22, and 26-23, off NJCU attack errors. LBC committed four attack errors to allow the Knights to regain a 28-27 margin before Henry-Ruhl and Glerum gave the visitors back a 29-28 cushion, and NJCU committed an error on game point as LBC won 30-28.

 

In game five, the Chargers never trailed, as Glerum ignited the team with four kills (4-1-9) and Henry-Ruhl was errorless with three kills in six swings. LBC never led by more than three, but held a 13-10 edge on a solo block by Glerum. After an NJCU timeout, the Knights rallied to tie it 13-13, as Siqueira slammed a kill, LBC hit a ball wide and the 5-foot-5 Beaumont posted a solo block on Harbold to even it up. But LBC scored the final two points on kills by Glerum and Harbold, and the Chargers escaped with the upset victory, 15-13.

 

NJCU will be back in action on Thursday, March 6 at 7 p.m. when it hosts City University of New York Athletic Conference leading Hunter College. LBC is off until March 12 when it hosts a tri-match.