BOX SCORE
LANGHORNE, PA (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) continued his stellar play, landing a match-high 11 kills and a .385 hitting percentage, but No. 9 ranked Philadelphia Biblical University won its 16th consecutive home match on Tuesday night, sweeping a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match from the Gothic Knights, 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-21) at the Mason Activity Center.
PBU, ranked ninth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III Top 15 Coaches Poll, improves to 7-2 and 3-0 in the Metro Division while the Knights fall to 3-3 (0-3 Metro). PBU leads the all-time series, 10-2 and has won the last four matchups between the clubs, who were meeting for the first time since 2008 and the first time as divisional opponents in the newly aligned NECVA Metro.
It was a historic night for three-time First Team All-American senior outside hitter Justin Brubaker (Telford, PA), who became just the third known player in Division III history to record 2,000 career kills. Entering the match with 1,999 kills, he was limited to a season-low eight kills. But in two sets the reigning NECVA Player of the Year did hit .412 with a line of 8-1-17, adding six digs and four service aces.
Lisk, who is hitting an impressive .426 with only seven errors in 108 attempts this season, posted a line of 11-1-26. Freshman opposite RICH BOYLE (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) added a .333 attack rate, slamming eight kills (8-3-15). Senior setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) tallied 20 assists and sophomore outside hitter MICHAL KUCZA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had a match-high 10 digs.
PBU, which hit .333 as a team (34-10-72), received 26 assists from senior setter Oliver Good (Brogue, PA), and produced a .500 setting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Noah Prickett (Yardley, PA) used his 6-foot-4 frame to register a .556 percentage with five kills (5-0-9) and eight digs in two sets. Freshman Stephen Hirsch (Iselin, NJ/Home School) hit .444 with five kills (5-1-9) in one set. Sophomore middle hitter Josh Tuttle (Eastport, NY) finished with eight kills (8-3-17, .294).
Brubaker ended the day with 2,007 career kills. The only known players in Division III history with 2,000 kills are Kris Fraser of Ramapo College (2,010 kills, 2001-04) and A.J. Witkofsky of Endicott College (2,001 kills, 2007-10).
Brubaker notched his historic 2,000th kill less than two minutes into the match, giving the Crimson Eagles a 3-1 lead in the opening set. PBU did not trail in the first game. NJCU hit -.130 in the set (4-7-23).
There were nine ties and two lead changes in the second set. Winners by Kucza and Boyle tied it at 15-15 and 16-16 before Lisk slammed a shot for an 18-18 game. PBU opened two-point leads of 20-18 and 21-19. Another kill by Lisk cut it to one, 21-20 before Brubaker landed winners for the hosts' 22nd and 24th points, before winning 25-21. Brubaker hit .385 in the set with six kills (6-1-13). Lisk hit .375 in the game with three winners (3-0-8).
NJCU tried to extend the match in the third set, which again was competitive with eight ties and two lead changes. The Knights floored 12 kills and hit .231 in the game but could not match the size of the Crimson Eagles, which hit .520 in the set, landing 15 kills (15-2-25). Prickett and Tuttle each posted .800 hitting percentages in the game with four kills and no errors over five spikes apiece. Lisk was even better with a .750 percentage and six kills (6-0-8) while Boyle added a .429 rate (4-1-7).
Late in the third set, a slam by Lisk gave NJCU an 18-17 lead and Boyle chalked up a kill for a two-point lead (20-18). The Knights lead stood at 21-18 after an error by Hirsch. But PBU scored the final seven points of the set to win the match. An NJCU service error followed by a pair of kills, including one by Prickett tied it at 21-21. Two NJCU attack errors, sandwiched around an ace by Prickett made it 24-21 before a winner by Hirsch capped the late run, 25-21.
NJCU will play an NECVA Metro Division tri-match on Saturday, February 12 when it meets Ramapo College at 11 a.m. followed by Lancaster Bible College at 1 p.m. Both matches are at Ramapo's Bill Bradley Center in Mahwah, NJ.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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PBU
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Score
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0
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3
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Attack Percentage
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.090 (23-16-78)
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.333 (34-10-72)
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Kills
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23
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34
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Assists
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21
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33
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Service Aces
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3
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9
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Digs
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23
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30
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Total Blocks
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2.0
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3.0
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Points
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28.0
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46.0
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