BOX SCORE
JERSEY CITY, NJ (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University made Senior Night a special memory for setter FELIPE SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) as the Gothic Knights hit .362 as a team and Siqueira, a three-year co-captain, delivered 25 assists as NJCU cruised past the College of Mount Saint Vincent, 3-0 (30-15, 30-17, 30-19), in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match on Monday on “Coach Charlie Brown Court” at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
The Gothic Knights, who were playing their final scheduled regular season match, win their fourth consecutive contest and for the fifth time in six outings, to improve to 17-8 overall and 4-4 in the NECVA Metro. Mount Saint Vincent dropped to .500 at 14-14, and 4-3 in the division. NJCU leads the all-time series, 22-19.
NJCU will learn on Sunday, April 4 if the Knights have earned one of six at-large berths to the 2010 and 16th annual NECVA Tournament. The 16-team championship tournament, which is the culmination of play for the 44-team NECVA conference, begins April 9 in Barnstable, Massachusetts. NJCU is also eligible for ECAC Division III South Tournament consideration on April 17.
In a match where NJCU and CMSV were each very aggressive on serve, the clubs combined to commit 32 service errors (NJCU 17, CMSV 15).
With points being scored off of errors, both school's attacking totals were lower than usual, but when the Knights had the opportunity to swing, they were impressively accurate. NJCU slammed 29 kills and made just eight errors in 58 attempts for the .362 percentage. Meanwhile, the Dolphins, who collected 23 kills, committed 35 errors in 85 attempts for a -.141 team percentage.
Siqueira had 25 assists and two aces, while notching a .463 setting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) led the offense with a .583 percentage, landing nine kills and just two errors on 12 attempts, while contributing five digs and two blocks.
Sophomore opposite AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) was solid, posting a .462 attack percentage, landing seven kills with one error in 13 attempts. Two-time NECVA Metro Rookie of the Week, freshman outside hitter JOSE MATTA (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Union Hill), continued to dominate, slamming seven kills for a .357 percentage (7-2-14), with five digs.
Also for NJCU, freshman middle blocker DAVIS OBI (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) contributed four blocks and had three kills in four swings.
In defeat for the visitors, junior setter Michael Quinn (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) had 21 assists. Senior middle blocker Rob Hockenjos (West Hempstead, NY/West Hempstead) led the Dolphins with seven kills.
In the first set, NJCU hit .615 as a team with nine winners and just one error on 13 attempts. Meanwhile, CMSV had four kills and 13 errors (19 attempts, -.474). NJCU led throughout, moving in front 13-7 on a Matta mash, as he had four kills in five swings in the set, hitting .800. NJCU's lead grew to 17-9 on a combo block by the Old Bridge, NJ connection of Lisk and Obi. Bryant buried a ball from the right side for a 20-10 advantage. The lead swelled to 23-10 after a pair of Dolphin errors and 24-11 on a double block by Bryant and freshman middle blocker CASEY BLAKE (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne). Bryant's ace made it 26-12 and the Knights cruised from there, winning 30-15.
NJCU hit .280 in the second set with 11 kills while CMSV continued to be in negative territory with nine kills and 10 errors (-.033). Despite the hitting line, there were eight ties in the set, including 13-13. A kill by Bryant put NJCU in front to stay and a solo block by Siqueira after several Dolphins errors made it 18-14. The high-powered serving of Matta extended the lead to 20-14 and he buried back-to-back kills, including one from behind the 10-foot line for a 24-17 cushion. A pair of winners from Bryant made it 27-17, and an Obi block added another point. NJCU claimed the set, 30-17, when CMSV's pass sailed over the net and Bryant slammed it to the floor for a kill. He had four kills and one error in eight swings for a .375 percentage in the set.
NJCU never trailed in the third set and gained a 12-6 lead on consecutive kills by Lisk, who hit .500 in the game with four winners. The highlight play of the match occurred on the rally that made it 12-6. Bryant dove into the home bench to save a ball that was destined to land for a Mount Saint Vincent kill, somehow regained his composure to return to his defensive position, before the incredible hustle sequence ended when Lisk floored a kill. From there it was all NJCU. Siqueira served eight consecutive points as NJCU's lead ballooned to 21-8 before winning 30-19.
While NJCU is off until a possible post-season berth, CMSV will return to action on Tuesday, March 23 in a Metro Division match at SUNY New Paltz beginning at 7 p.m.
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