New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ…Senior outside hitter KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) inched closer to 1,000 career kills by posting a match best 13 and New Jersey City University opened its 20^th season of men's volleyball as 13 players collectively hit .323 and swept Lehman College, 3-0 (30-19, 30-15, 30-21) in the season opener for both schools on Thursday on 'Charlie Brown Court' at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

NJCU (1-0), was playing the first men's or women's volleyball match since the court was dedicated to former men's basketball coach Charles Brown on November 15. Overall, it was the 125^th home court victory in school history (125-68 (.648); 193 matches). Lehman falls to 0-1. NJCU, which had 50 kills overall (50-18-99), leads the all-time non-divisional series, 15-13. 

Rodgers, who moves back to his natural outside hitter position after earning First-Team All-NECVA Metro honors as a middle blocker in 2008, entered his fourth season with 982 career kills and finished with a line of 13-3-23 for a .435 hitting percentage, increasing his career total to 995. With five more winners he will become the fifth player in program history to register 1,000 career kills. He added eight digs.

Sophomore setter JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) celebrated his 21^st birthday with 27 assists in two sets, posting a .500 assist percentage.

Three rookies were outstanding for NJCU in their career debuts. Freshman middle blocker AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) had eight kills (8-2-13) in two sets for a match-high .462 percentage and rejected two blocks. Freshman outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) pounded nine kills (9-7-20) and freshman middle blocker DANNY KOCHANSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) added six kills, hit .417 (6-1-12), and landed two aces.

NJCU also received a match-high 10 digs and five kills (5-2-10) for a .300 percentage in two games from senior opposite THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science).

Sophomore setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) had 13 assists in one game. Sophomore libero CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens) provided nine digs in two games.

Lehman received 16 assists from junior setter Nate Martin (Carleton, MI/Airport), and seven kills and seven digs from sophomore outside hitter Jonathan Cruz (Bronx, NY/John F. Kennedy).

NJCU jumped out to leads of 8-3 and 10-5 in the opening set. Lehman came within 15-13 before the Knights reeled off runs of 6-0 and 10-2, to seize a 25-15 lead, winning by 11.

After landing 15 kills in set one, NJCU was even more lethal on attack in the second frame, posting a .462 percentage on 16 kills (16-4-26). The Knights actually trailed, 11-9, before unleashing a 21-4 run to finish the set.

Four reserves saw considerable time while starting the final set, yet NJCU never trailed. Lehman came as close as 14-13, before NJCU scored nine of the next 12 points to put the frame away, winning by nine.

NJCU, which was playing the first of a five-match homestand to open the season, will face #12 ranked Baruch College on Tuesday, January 27 at 7 p.m. Lehman is at Yeshiva University at 8 p.m. on January 29.