New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE

PURCHASE, NY…Sophomore outside hitter MARLEY PENA-GUZMAN (Atlanta, GA/Central Gwinnett (GA)) hammered 16 kills in three games and New Jersey City University, which ran its winning streak to five, held an opponent to a negative team hitting percentage for the fourth time during that streak, sweeping SUNY Purchase, 3-0 (30-23, 30-25, 30-21), in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Thursday night.

NJCU improves to 6-1 overall and 1-0 in the Metro Division, while defeating the Panthers (3-2, 1-3 Metro) in three games for the fourth time in five all-time meetings. NJCU leads the series, 5-0.

NJCU had 4.0 team blocks and added 36 digs, and that combination made it nearly impossible for the Panthers to mount an offense, as the Gothic Knights limited Purchase to a -.060 hitting percentage with 19 kills and 24 errors on 83 attempts. It was the third consecutive match and fourth time overall that NJCU has held an opponent to a negative attack this year. 

NJCU, which leads the country in service aces as a team, landed 10—its fourth double digit ace performance of the year.

The Knights were led by Pena who hit .312 overall with 16 kills (16-6-32), six digs, three service aces and two blocks. He had three fewer kills individually than the Panthers did as a team (19).

Sophomore setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) delivered 39 assists while freshman middle blocker DANNY KOCHANSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) contributed eight kills (8-4-15), hit .267, and chipped in two aces and two blocks.

Freshman outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge), who started in place of 1,000-kill producer KEVIN RODGERS (Clifton, NJ/Clifton), who missed the match with an illness, posted seven kills and seven digs. Freshman middle blocker AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) hit .333 with five kills (5-2-9) and three aces. Junior defensive specialist FELIPE SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) had a team-high eight digs.

The one area the Panthers excelled was in blocking. Purchase amassed 12.0 team blocks. NJCU had 41 kills, but made 30 errors on 106 attempts (.104).

Junior outside hitter Dan Grabowski-Clark (Farmington, CT/Farmington) finished with match-highs of 10 digs and five blocks (two solo), adding seven kills. Senior outside hitter Bic Cass (Brookline, MA/Brookline), sophomore middle hitter Derek Miles (Buffalo, NY/North Tonawanda) and freshman middle John Ray (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs) each had four blocks for the Panthers.

NJCU returns to action on Saturday, February 7 when it hosts the 15^th annual Gothic Knight Invitational at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center, with a field that includes #7 Newbury College, Stevenson University, SUNYIT, SUNY New Paltz and Wentworth Institute of Technology.