BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Sophomore opposite AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) and sophomore middle blocker DANNY KOCHANSKI(Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) each slammed 14 kills and combined for seven blocks as New Jersey City University opened a five-match homestand by winning its fourth consecutive contest, sweeping a non-conference affair with Lancaster Bible College, 3-0 (30-27, 30-25, 30-20), on Wednesday night on “Coach Charlie Brown Court” at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
NJCU, which also won for the sixth time in seven matches, improved to 8-4 on the year while the Chargers fell to 5-10. The Gothic Knights have won three in a row over LBC, and lead the all-time series, 3-1. The Knights hit .241 as a team with 52 kills, including 21 in the final set.
Bryant hit .417, with a number of his 14 kills (14-4-24) being unleashed from the backrow. He had seven digs and three blocks. Kochanski hit .286 with 14 kills (14-6-28) and four blocks. Sophomore outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) collected seven kills and made just one error (7-1-16) in hitting .375. Freshman middle blocker CASEY BLAKE (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) also had seven kills (7-4-17, .176) and two blocks.
Junior setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) delivered 25 assists while senior setter FELIPE SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) had 23 helpers. Freshman outside hitter MICHAL KUCZA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) defended seven digs. Freshman outside hitter MIKE VALENCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had four kills and hit .571 (4-0-7) in one set.
LBC received a nice all-around performance from freshman setter Brent Hurst (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite), who paced the Chargers with 25 assists, nine kills without an error in 16 attacks for a .562 percentage, and four digs. Freshman middle blocker A.J. Longacre (Quakertown, PA/Christopher Dock) collected a team-best 11 kills (11-8-32, .094), seven digs and two blocks. Junior middle blocker Phil Smock (Pottstown, PA/West-Mont Christian) contributed four kills, five digs and three blocks.
NJCU had 18 kills in the opening set but was challenged by the Chargers, who tied the match six times, including 20-20, and 21-21. A winner by Kochanski gave NJCU a two-point lead (24-22) before a pair of attack errors by the hosts cut it to one (25-24). A kill by freshman outside hitter JOSE MATTA (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Union Hill) made it 27-24 and Blake added a winner before NJCU scored its last two points on LBC attack miscues.
There were two ties in the second set, and LBC drew within one, 18-17, before NJCU inched itself away from the Chargers following a combo block by Kochanski and Lisk. Back-to-back winners by Bryant and Blake made it 26-22 before a shot by Hurst closed the margin to two. But kills by Lisk and Kochanski maintained a three point lead and the Knights prevailed by five.
The third set was all NJCU, which hit .349 on 21 kills and just six errors. The Knights never trailed, opening a 17-11 on a shot by Blake, before a block by Kochanski and junior opposite AJ SAFAVI (Fair Lawn, NJ/Fair Lawn) extended the lead to 10, 25-15, which was the final margin.
Weather-permitting, NJCU will host College of Mount Saint Vincent in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Friday, February 26 at 7 p.m. LBC hosts City College of New York on February 27.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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LANCASTER
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Score
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3
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0
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Attack Percentage
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.241 (52-24-116)
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.152 (36-20-105)
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Kills
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52
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36
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Assists
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50
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35
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Service Aces
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3
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0
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Digs
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40
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34
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Total Blocks
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6.0
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6.0
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Points
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61.0
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42.0
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