New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

UNION, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Kean University used 16 players and a balanced attack to sweep a non-conference  women's volleyball match from New Jersey City University, 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 25-23) on Tuesday night at the Harwood Arena.
 
Kean improved to 10-15 with the win and leads the all-time series, 29-7. NJCU drops to 4-11. The Cougars hit .217 as a team with 35 kills (35-15-92) and eight total blocks.
 
In defeat, rookie middle blocker JADE MEDLEY (Newark, NJ/Hudson Catholic) floored seven kills and hit .238 with just a pair of attack errors (7-2-21).
 
Freshman setter CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) provided 22 assists and six digs and senior outside hitter TABITHA JORDAN (West New York, NJ/Memorial) added a match-high 11 digs. Senior libero MICHELLE RAYO (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) tallied eight digs. Junior opposite BRITTANY EREZUMA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) hit .214 with four kills.
 
Kean was led by freshman outside hitter Jennifer Espinal (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) with eight kills (8-4-21, .190) and 11 digs. Senior middle hitter Tara Richey (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) collected six kills, a .250 attack rate (6-3-12) and five blocks (two solo). Sophomore 6-foot-1 middle Kaitlyn Hansen (Edison, NJ/Edison Township) registered seven kills and two blocks.
 
Freshman middle Shannon Hood (Jersey City, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) hit .455 with five kills and no errors in two sets. Senior setter Lindsay Gordon (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and freshman setter Alana Aranjo (Newark, NJ/Science Park) combined for 29 assists and 11 digs.
 
Kean hit .444 in the opening set with 13 winners and only one error in 27 attempts and broke open an 11-9 game with a 7-2 run to build an 18-11 lead after a kills and block by Espinal and two Richey winners. Kean went on to win the set by 10, 25-15.
 
NJCU was limited to a -.062 attack percentage in the second period and Kean landed another 13 kills. Despite the statistical discrepancy, the Knights were very much alive in the set and tied the game at 14-14 after a kill by junior outside hitter KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side). But the Cougars closed the set on an 11-2 streak, as the Knights committed seven errors. Kean won the game, 25-16 for a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
There were seven ties in the third set and a pair of lead changes and NJCU held a 10-9 edge in kills in the game. With the Cougars leading 17-11, the Knights battled back to tie it at 19-19 on another kill by Martinez. A pair of blocks by Richey put the Cougars back in front, 22-20 and an NJCU attack error and Kean ace gave the hosts a 24-20 lead and match point. NJCU scored three points in a row and drew with 24-23 before junior outside Amanda Gonzalez (West New York, NJ/Memorial) clinched the win with a kill.
 
NJCU will host Montclair State University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match on Thursday, October 13 at 7 p.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.