BOX SCORE
BEVERLY, MA…Sophomore setter
ALEX JOHANESEN (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) became the fourth player in school history to distribute 1,000 career assists, handing out 39, along with three service aces as
New Jersey City University downed Bridgewater State College (MA), 3-1 (21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-15), in the final round of the Endicott College Invitational at the Post Center on Saturday.
NJCU (1-3) wins its first match of the season, finishing seventh in the tournament in what was the first-ever meeting between the Gothic Knights and the Bears (0-3).
Senior outside hitter
JACQUELINE LeBLANC (Westfield, NJ/Westfield), who collected 44 kills in three matches during the tournament, was named to the Honorable Mention All-Tournament Team.
Johanesen now has 1,034 career assists in just over one season of action.
Offensively,
senior middle blocker SARAH TORRES (Elizabeth, NJ/Science) had her best match of the season, posting 15 kills (15-6-30) and a .300 percentage, with five blocks (four assisted). The 15 kills were the second highest total of her career and the most since she had 16 against Montclair State on September 19, 2006.
Her 28th career double-digit kill effort gives her 781 kills, moving her into fifth place in school history, as Torres eclipsed Francia Almonte (1997-00, 778 kills) on the list.
LeBlanc had 13 kills for the second straight match, finishing with a line of 13-4-45 (.200), nine digs and two blocks, as she increased her career kills total to 1,128—15 shy of equaling Melissa Pablos (2000-03, 1,143 kills) for second place in program history.
Junior middle blocker
JENNIFER HATCH (Paterson, NJ/Mary Help of Christians Academy) chalked up seven kills for a .462 percentage, making only one error (7-1-13) while stuffing two blocks.Senior outside hitter
JENNIFER CARVALHO (Rahway, NJ/Rahway) finished with five kills without an error (5-0-15, .333), contributing nine kills and three blocks. Senior libero
LYANELLY NEGRON (Union, NJ/Union) defended 15 digs.
In defeat, Bridgewater sophomore outside hitter Julie Clerc (Acushnet, MA/New Bedford) posted a match-high 20 kills and hit .381 (20-4-42) with nine digs. Sophomore outside hitter Natalie Cohen (Marstons Mills, MA/Barnstable) had 10 kills. Junior libero Brianne Cobb (New Bedford, MA/New Bedford) finished with 19 digs. Senior setter Elsa Apostoli (Natick, MA/Natick) tallied 31 assists and 10 digs.
Bridgewater won the opening set as the Bears managed 16 kills and hit .344 (16-5-32) as a team. After a kill by LeBlanc evened the frame at 20-20, Cohen and Clerc each added a pair of kills as the Bears scored five of the final six points.
But from the middle of set two on, it was all NJCU. Facing adversity in set two, NJCU trailed 17-13 after a Clerc winner and 18-14 after an error. Two Bear miscues closed the gap, and Torres landed a kill for an 18-17 deficit, before Carvalho and Torres tied it with a stuff block. Clerc and Torres traded kills and the clubs each made an error for another 20-20 tie. This time it was NJCU scoring five of the final six points for a 25-21 win. Torres found the court for 22-20 and LeBlanc followed with consecutive slams for a 24-20 margin before Torres' kill won it.
In set three the Knights hit .343 as a team with 13 kills (13-1-35). NJCU opened a 15-11 lead and the Bears never came closer than two points. LeBlanc had a kill for 19-16 before Torres chipped in back-to-back winners for a 21-16 cushion. LeBlanc and Torres each added another kill for a 24-15 edge, before winning 25-16.
In set four, NJCU surged ahead to leads of 7-0 and 12-2 and never looked back. A combined block by
Carvalho and
Torres gave the Knights their largest lead at 12 points, 22-10, before
Torres and junior opposite
MELISSA LOO (Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) posted a final block for match point.
NJCU returns to action on Wednesday, September 10 at 7:30 pm when it visits York College (NY) in a non-conference match in Jamaica, NY.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
