BOX SCORE
MAHWAH, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Sophomore opposite AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) delivered a match-best 12 kills and added three blocks, but it wasn't enough as #11 ranked Ramapo College defeated New Jersey City University, 3-0 (30-28, 30-17, 30-25), in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Wednesday night at the Bill Bradley Center.
NJCU drops to 2-3 overall (0-2 NECVA Metro), with all losses coming to teams that are nationally ranked or have received votes in the national poll. Ramapo, ranked 11th by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Coaches Top 15 Poll, is 3-3 (1-0 NECVA Metro). The Roadrunners lead the all-time series, 40-11 and have won the last 10 meetings.
Ramapo hit .258 overall with 45 kills and collected 9.0 total blocks. NJCU was limited to a .037 hitting percentage (25-22-81).
Bryant hit .208 overall, finishing with nearly half of NJCU's 25 kills, posting a line of 12-7-24, and two of his three blocks were solo stuffs. Junior setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) provided 16 assists. Freshman outside hitter JOSE MATTA (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Union Hill) contributed four kills (4-0-7) and did not commit an error, for a .571 attack percentage, adding two aces. Junior libero CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens) defended seven digs.
Ramapo was led by sophomore middle blocker Paul Konopacki (Monroe Twp., NJ) with eight kills (8-1-13) for a .538 attack rate, and three blocks. Senior middle blocker Elvis Cabrera (Clifton, NJ) had seven kills (7-2-10), hit .500, and tallied four blocks. Freshman outside hitter Steve Vahalla (Bloomfield, NJ) tallied eight kills (8-3-17, .294). Senior setter Matt Scott (Edison, NJ/St. Joseph's) dished 40 assists while senior libero Kurt Backlund (Old Bridge, NJ) had 10 digs.
In the first set, Vahalla and junior outside hitter Jeff Elsasser (Barnegat, NJ) each had five kills as Ramapo had 17 in the frame, holding on for a two-point win. After the set was tied at 18-18, Ramapo would open a 24-21 lead, which was cut to one 24-23, on an ace by sophomore middle blocker DANNY KOCHANSKI (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne). RCNJ moved back in front by four, 29-25, before a kill by freshman middle blocker DAVIS OBI (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge), a Roadrunner attack error and an ace by Matta shaved the deficit to just one, 29-28. But on set point, Cabrera had a winner for the 30-28 decision. Bryant had five of NJCU's 10 kills in the set.
In set two, Ramapo hit .500 with 11 kills (11-2-18) while the Knights committed 11 errors and had just seven kills (-.154) as RCNJ never trailed, winning 30-17. Bryant was the lone Knight who could make an offensive dent, finishing with five of NJCU's seven kills in the set.
In the third set there were five ties and one lead change, but RCNJ had a 17-8 advantage in kills. Konopacki had five kills for RCNJ in the set, as the hosts opened a 19-12 lead on one of his winners. That lead continued to be seven, 28-21, before Ramapo prevailed, 30-25.
NJCU is scheduled to host the 16th annual Gothic Knight Invitational on Saturday, February 6, beginning at 9 a.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. Also participating are Newbury College, Stevenson University, SUNY New Paltz, SUNYIT, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
|
Team Stat Comparison
|
|
|
NJCU
|
RAMAPO
|
|
Score
|
0
|
3
|
|
Attack Percentage
|
.037 (25-22-81)
|
.258 (45-21-93)
|
|
Kills
|
25
|
45
|
|
Assists
|
25
|
42
|
|
Service Aces
|
4
|
8
|
|
Digs
|
22
|
27
|
|
Total Blocks
|
4.0
|
9.0
|
|
Points
|
33.0
|
62.0
|
