BOX SCORES: SEMIFINALS vs. LEHMAN | FINALS vs. HUNTER
BRACKET
ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, NY (www.NJCUGothicKnights.com)...In what was perhaps the greatest Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship match in history, second-seeded
New Jersey City University and top-seeded Hunter College went the distance—and then some—as Hunter survived two match points and edged NJCU, 3-2 (30-18, 26-30,30-24,27-30, 18-16) on April 17 at Bard College's Stevenson Gymnasium.
Hunter College (26-11) wins its third consecutive ECAC championship while the Gothic Knights, who have never won the ECAC title, finished second for the third time (2006, 2008, 2010), while making its fifth ECAC Tournament appearance since 2005. NJCU finishes the season with an 18-11 record and is 4-5 all-time in the ECAC Tournament.
In the semifinals, NJCU defeated third-seeded Lehman College, 3-1 (30-18, 30-22, 25-30, 30-19) while the Hawks also downed fourth-seeded and host Bard College, 3-1 (30-21, 30-11, 25-30, 30-15).
Freshman outside hitter #JOSE MATTA (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Union Hill) collected his fourth and fifth double-doubles of the season in the two playoff matches—his third consecutive double-doubles to conclude the year—slamming 37 kills with 23 digs in nine sets.
Sophomore opposite AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville) had 29 kills and nine blocks in the two matches while junior libero CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens) defended double figures in digs for the 11th and 12th time this season, notching 43 in the tournament. Edra exceeded 15 digs eight times this year.
******ECAC SEMIFINALS: NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY 3, LEHMAN COLLEGE 1******In the semifinals, NJCU defeated Lehman for the third time this season, hitting .285 as a team with 60 kills (60-21-137). NJCU defeated Lehman for the 13th time in the last 14 meetings and leads the all-time series, 18-13.
Freshman middle blocker CASEY BLAKE (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) led NJCU with a stellar .522 hitting percentage, smashing a career-high 13 kills with just one error in 23 attacks, while adding three blocks (one solo). It was only his second career double-digit kill performance and one better than his previous high of 12 kills on January 28.
Bryant equaled Blake with a match-high 13 kills (13-4-25) for a .360 attack percentage, adding 10 digs, four blocks, three aces and three assists for his third double-double of the season and fourth of his career.
Matta collected the first of two double-doubles with 12 kills (12-5-34, .206) and 12 digs. Edradished 18 digs. Junior setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) provided 26 assists and senior setter FELIPE SIQUEIRA (Newark, NJ/Science) delivered 25 helpers.
Also for NJCU, sophomore outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) totaled nine kills and hit .250 (9-4-20) while freshman middle blocker DAVIS OBI (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) hit a .455 clip, landing seven kills (7-2-11) with two blocks in just two sets of action. Freshman middle blocker OSCAR MONTOYA (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) hit .500 with five kills (5-1-8) and two blocks in two sets.
For Lehman, junior Nate Martin (Carleton, MI/Airport) posted a double-double of 12 kills (12-5-46, .152) and 15 digs. Junior opposite RJ LeBlanc (South Rockwood, MI/Airport) also finished with 12 kills and eight digs. Freshman setter Angel Fernandez (Bronx, NY/Walton) dished 29 assists. Freshman outside hitter Kelvis Castro (Bronx, NY/Walton) had a match-high 19 digs.
******ECAC FINALS: HUNTER COLLEGE 3, NEW JERSEY CITY UNIVERSITY 2******
In an epic championship match that featured two schools with a long rivalry, NJCU won the second and fourth sets and was tied with Hunter numerous times, including 13-13 in the fifth and decisive game. The schools were even again at 14, 15 and 16, before the Hawks won on a pair of NJCU attack errors. Hunter leads the all-time series, 14-11
Matta hammered a career-best 24 kills—the fifth time this season either Matta or Bryant has uncorked 20 or more kills in a match—and equaled Bryant's season high of 24 against Lehman on March 19. Matta hit .220 (24-13-50) with 11 digs and four blocks.
Freshman outside hitter MICHAL KUCZA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) hit .375 with a career-best 16 kills (16-4-32). He also defended a career-high 15 digs for his first collegiate double-double. Bryant added 16 kills (16-8-40), eight digs and five blocks. Obi generated his first career double-double, matching his career high with 10 kills (10-2-21) for a .381 attack percentage, while rejected 11 blocks (two solo).
Edra kept NJCU alive with a match-high 25 digs—his second largest career total. Rodriguez delivered 36 assists and six digs and Siqueira collected 34 assists.
Hunter sophomore middle blocker/opposite Eric Barty (Jamaica, NY/Cordozo) notched a match-best 29 kills and hit .271 (29-13-59). Senior setter Zacarias Ripoll-Cid (Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic/John F. Kennedy) distributed 62 assists and added four solo blocks and six kills (6-0-17, .353).
Junior opposite Marcin Polak (Brooklyn, NY/Fort Hamilton) had 13 kills (13-3-25), hit .400, and stuffed three solo blocks while sophomore middle blocker Roman Siromakha (Brooklyn, NY/New Utrecht) hit .550 with 13 kills (13-2-20) and two aces. Sophomore libero Sam Martin (Northport, NY/Northport) finished with a team-high 10 digs.
In the decisive fifth set, Obi scored the first three NJCU points, including a block and a kill but the clubs were knotted at 4-4. Matta's serving helped NJCU claim a 7-4 margin before the Hawks evened it at 10-10 when several block touches were kept alive and converted into winners. Matta slammed a ball straight down for an 11-10 lead before Barty tipped a kill for an 11-11 deadlock. Matta had a hitting error but responded with a kill for a 12-12 tie.
NJCU went ahead 13-12 when the Hawks attacked a ball long. A lengthy rally resulted in a 13-13 tie when Ripoll-Cid stuffed a solo block. A kill by Blake gave NJCU championship point and a 14-13 lead as Hunter called timeout. Out of the break, Polak tipped a ball for a kill and the match was all square at 14-14. The Knights went ahead 15-14 with a second championship point on another kill by Blake. On match point, Polak again earned a kill for Hunter as his ball lands flush on the backline. Tied at 15-15, Kucza had a hitting error but responded from his mistake with a kill off the block on Hunter's first match point. That winner evened the contest yet again, this time at 16-16. But Hunter would score the final two points on a Polak solo block and an NJCU attack error which sailed wide as the Hawks survived for the title.
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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LEHMAN
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Score
|
3
|
1
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Attack Percentage
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.285 (60-21-137)
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.065 (31-23-124)
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Kills
|
60
|
31
|
|
Assists
|
56
|
31
|
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Service Aces
|
6
|
2
|
|
Digs
|
61
|
56
|
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Total Blocks
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7.0
|
18.0
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Points
|
73.0
|
51.0
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|
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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HUNTER
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Score
|
2
|
3
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Attack Percentage
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.217 (72-34-175)
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.251 (76-31-179)
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Kills
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72
|
76
|
|
Assists
|
70
|
66
|
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Service Aces
|
1
|
4
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Digs
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72
|
30
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Total Blocks
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12.5
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9.0
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Points
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85.5
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89.0
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—www.njcugothicknights.com—
