BOX SCORE
JAMAICA, QUEENS, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University won the opening set, but Elmira College combined for 16.0 total blocks in the match—all in the final three sets—and rallied to knock off the Gothic Knights in four sets, 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22) on Saturday morning at the 7th annual York College Men's Volleyball Classic at the York College Gymnasium.
It was the first-ever meeting between NJCU (10-14) and Elmira (8-18), a strong first-year program. Elmira combined for 70.0 total points in the match and limited NJCU to a .088 attack percentage as a team.
In defeat, senior libero CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens) defended a match-best 17 digs to increase his career total to 1,126—just eight shy of the program's all-time record of 1,134. He had a .973 reception percentage with one error in 36 attempts.
Sophomore outside hitter MICHAL KUCZA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) was one of three NJCU players with double figures in kills, notching his fourth double-double of the season and fifth of his career with 14 kills (14-15-45, -.022) and 10 digs. Junior outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) hit .219 with 11 kills (11-4-32) and eight digs and rookie opposite RICH BOYLE (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) added 13 kills and a .214 percentage (13-7-28) with six digs.
Kucza, Lisk and Boyle combined for 38 of NJCU's 46 kills. Senior setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial)dished 36 assists and had eight digs.
For the Soaring Eagles, senior middle hitter Zach Pugh (West Winfield, NY) had a solid all-around match with 15 kills, a .433 attack rate (15-2-30) and 10 blocks (two solo). Freshman outside hitter Eric Sandmann (Glenville, NY) totaled a match-high 16 kills and hit .220 (16-7-41) with eight digs and one solo block. Freshman setter Michael Vellutato (Topanga, CA) delivered 43 assists, 10 digs, seven blocks and three aces.
Freshman outside hitter Ryan Gelenitis (Brick, NJ/Christian Brothers Academy) collected 11 kills (11-8-39, .077), seven digs and two blocks and had a .983 reception percentage with only one error in 58 pass attempts. Freshman 6-foot-6 middle hitter Roman Kononenko (Myrhorod, Ukraine) hit .455 with six kills and one error in 11 swings and four assisted blocks. Senior opposite Brian Bowman (Lockport, NY) added four blocks and freshman libero Brayden Abbey (Sparta, NJ/Pope John XXIII) defended nine digs.
In the opening set there were 13 ties and four lead changes as NJCU hit .257 and landed 14 kills and Elmira counted with 13 winners. After a tie at 19-19, Elmira moved ahead 21-19 on a Gelenitis kill and an NJCU error. An attack error by Gelenitis followed by a Boyle winner tied it at 21-21, but the Eagles regained a 23-21 advantage on a Kononenko winner and a Gothic Knight miscue. But NJCU would score the final four points of the set to win, 25-23. After two Elmira errors, a kill by Kucza gave NJCU the lead and an attack error by Sandmann ended the game. Kucza hit .500 in the set with six kills (6-1-10); Pugh hit .571 with five kills in seven swings for Elmira.
Elmira tied the match in the second set as it adjusted to the NJCU attack, compiling five blocks. Gelenitis hit .500 with four kills in the set and Pugh added four more. The Eagles led by no more than four points early in the set and it tightened midway through. A pair of kills by Boyle kept NJCU within striking distance, trailing 16-15 and 17-16 before a combined block by freshman middle hitter NATHAN JOUBERT (Union City, NJ/Union City) and Rodriguez tied it at 17-17. But from there, Elmira soared to eight of the final 10 points to take the set, 25-19. Pugh had a swing that gave the Eagles the lead for good. Gelenitis added a kill and Pugh/Vellutato combined for a block that made it 20-17. Two kills by Pugh and another block by the tandem of Pugh/Vellutato made it 24-17 before Sandmann evened the match with a kill on set point.
In the third set, Elmira held a modest lead for most of the game, including 17-13. A kill by Boyle and two errors by Gelenitis made it a one-point set. But the Eagles scored five of the next six points and a pair of kills by Gelenitis made it 22-17. Kononenko capped the set with two kills and an ace on set point for a 2-1 lead in the contest. Elmira hit .375 as a team in the set (12-3-24).
In the final set there were eight ties and five lead changes but the Soaring Eagles rejected 7.0 blocks to win it. Sandmann hit .500 with seven kills in the game (7-1-12). Pugh stuffed four blocks and Vellutato added three. After a pair of Elmira attack errors gave NJCU a 16-15 edge, Sandmann tied it with a winner. Lisk gave NJCU another lead before Kononenko/Bowman teamed for a block and a 17-17 tie. Another combo block, this time by Bowman and Pugh gave the Eagles an 18-17 edge and a solo block by Sandmann made it 19-17—its third straight point generated with its blocking defense. A kill by Sandmann and Bowman ace, followed by a combined block by Pugh/Vellutato extended the Elmira lead to 23-18. Three straight points by NJCU made it a two-point game, 24-22, before a shot by Pugh sealed the win for Elmira.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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Team Stat Comparison
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NJCU
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ELMIRA
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Score
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1
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3
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Attack Percentage
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.088 (46-34-136)
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.229 (49-19-131)
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Kills
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46
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49
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Assists
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43
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47
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Service Aces
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1
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5
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Digs
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54
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45
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Total Blocks
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3.0
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16.0
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Points
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50.0
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70.0
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