New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

DOBBS FERRY, NY…Freshman middle blocker AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) tied the school record for total blocks in a four-set match with 14 and New Jersey City University stuffed 20.0 total blocks as a team in defeating the College of Mount Saint Vincent, 3-1 (30-27, 30-21, 24-30, 30-20) in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Monday night. It was the 40^th meeting between the schools.

The start of the match was delayed 75 minutes and moved to an alternate site off of Mount Saint Vincent's campus in Riverdale, NY after the net system was damaged during warm ups.

NJCU improves to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in the Metro Division and leads the all-time series, 21-19. The Dolphins fall to 4-7 and 0-3 Metro.

Bryant finished with three solo and 11 assisted blocks for a total of 14 and tied the four-set record originally set by Dennis Castillo against Hunter College on March 3, 2000 (two solo, 12 assisted). He was one shy of the overall school record of 15 by Damon LaSalle on February 18, 2006 against Ramapo College in five games. Bryant also added nine digs.

It was also the sixth time in school history NJCU has posted 20 or more total team blocks in a match. The record is 24.0, accomplished twice.

Sophomore outside hitter MARLEY PENA-GUZMAN (Atlanta, GA/Central Gwinnett (GA)) hammered 16 kills (16-7-39, .231) and had six blocks (five assisted) while senior outside hitter KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) slammed 10 kills (10-2-27, .296) and added 12 digs and three blocks, increasing his career kills total to 1,054. It was his 26th career double-double.

Also for NJCU, senior opposite THIAGO SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) had seven kills (7-2-17, .294) and six blocks and sophomore setter JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) delivered 33 assists, added seven digs and landed four of NJCU's seven aces, while contributing two blocks.

NJCU also received 14 digs from sophomore libero CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) and three blocks from freshman middle blocker DANNY KOCHANSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne).

CMSV sophomore outside hitter David Guerrero (East Meadow, NY/East Meadow) finished with a match-best 22 kills (22-11-53, .208), nine digs and five aces. Senior setter Chris Dotoratos (Bronx, NY/Salesian) had 36 assists. Freshman outside hitter Justin Amaral (Warwick, RI/Warwick Veterans) and freshman opposite Matt Krauszer (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) each had 11 digs while senior middle blocker T.J. Pufahl (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage) tallied seven digs and four blocks.

Tied at 18 in the first set, Kochanski landed an ace and Bryan and Beaumont added a combo block as NJCU gained a three-point lead. The Dolphins drew within 24-23 before a Rodgers kills and consecutive blocks by Siqueira/Kochanski and Rodgers/Kochanski helped the Knights gain a 29-24 lead, before winning by three.

The Knights jumped out to a 15-8 lead in the second set, before winning by nine. At 23-22 CMSV in the third set, the Dolphins finished the game on a 7-2 streak to extend the match to four, before the Knights won by 10 in the final set to close the match. NJCU led 15-8 in the fourth set and CMSV was able to draw within three, 20-17, before the Knights scored 10 of the final 13 points.

NJCU next faces Polytechnic Institute of New York University in an NECVA Metro Division match on Wednesday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in Brooklyn, NY.