New Jersey City University Athletics

BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Philadelphia Biblical University, ranked No. 8 in Division III, hit over .300 in every set and withstood a test from New Jersey City University to remain undefeated in the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division as the Crimson Eagles outlasted NJCU, 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-16) in a conference match on Tuesday night on “Coach Charlie Brown Court” at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.

PBU improved to 17-5 overall and 10-0 in the Metro Division, and clinched a share of the league's divisional championship with two matches remaining in NECVA play. NJCU falls to 9-12, 2-8 in the division. PBU leads the all-time series, 11-2, including a 5-0 record against NJCU in Jersey City, and wins the fifth straight meeting between the schools. It was the first encounter in Jersey City since February 21, 2004.

PBU hit .342 as a team with 54 kills (54-16-111) and 9.5 blocks. NJCU finished with 40 kills, including 13 in the first and third sets, but was limited to a .108 team attack percentage.

Three players reached double figures in kills for PBU, led by three-time First Team All-American senior outside hitter Justin Brubaker (Telford, PA), who landed 13 kills(13-4-28, .321) with two blocks. He increased his all-time Division III kills record to 2,203.

In defeat for NJCU, sophomore outside hitter MICHAL KUCZA (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) slammed a match-best 14 kills and hit .323 (14-4-31) and nine digs. Junior outside hitter KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) collected 10 kills to move into 14^th place in program history with 623 kills. Senior setter JORGE RODRIGUEZ (Havana, Cuba/Memorial) distributed 38 assists.

Senior libero CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/J.P. Stevens) defended a match-high 13 digs, increasing his career total to 1,087 in 375 sets. He is now 18 shy of equaling second place in program history and 47 shy of the program standard of 1,134. Sophomore middle blocker CORRADO DeVINCENZO (Bayonne, NJ/County Prep) had three blocks for NJCU.

PBU senior setter Drew Dillon (Mount Joy, PA) distributed 43 assists in 95 attempts (.453) and added nine digs, three blocks and three kills in four swings (.750). He now has 4,909 career assists.

Senior middle hitter Jon Rose (Warrington, PA) drilled a .727 attack percentage with nine kills and only one error in 11 attempts, while blocking four balls. Sophomore middle hitter Ethan Mawhinney (Langhorne, PA) added 11 kills and five blocks while hitting .529 (11-2-17) and sophomore middle hitter/opposite Josh Tuttle (Eastport, NY) finished with 10 kills and a .444 attack rate (10-2-18).

NJCU surprised PBU in the first set, hitting .435 with 13 winners (13-3-23), led by Kucza who posted an .833 attack percentage and five kills (5-0-6) and Lisk, who added five errorless kills and hit .556 (5-0-9). Brubaker added five kills in the set and Mawhinney hit .800 with four kills (40-8). There were 12 ties and five lead changes. Midway through the set, Kucza landed a roll shot kill on an impossible angle while

In the second set, there were nine ties and five lead changes. NJCU opened a 6-5 lead as Edra and Kucza had back-to-back highlight digs to keep the ball alive and a frustrated PBU squad committed a double and then an attack error. After ties at 10, 11 and 12, a Lisk kill and PBU error made it 13-11. PBU scored the next three and took a 14-13 lead on a combo block by Rose and sophomore outside hitter Noah Prickett (Yardley, PA) after NJCU made a great dig to keep a broken play alive. NJCU cut it to 16-14 before Rose landed a kill on the line and a Dillon dump kill gave the Eagles a 20-15 lead. Prickett landed a kill off the block and Mawhinney added a winner before PBU won the set, 25-17. PBU hit .375 in the set with 11 kills (11-2-24). Mawhinney was a perfect 5-for-5 on attacks in the set.

In the critical third set, it was a see-saw battle with 15 ties and nine lead changes. Kucza hammered five kills but Mawhinney matched him and hit .364 (5-1-11) and PBU hit .355 in the set with 14 kills (14-3-31). Early on NJCU took a 6-5 lead on a monster kill by freshman middle blocker NATHAN JOUBERT (Union City, NJ/Union City) and a Boyle ace down the line. PBU had the size advantage and Kucza was blocked in the middle by Dillon and Mawhinney, but didn't let that bother him. Rodriguez went right back to his hitter and Kucza challenged the block again—tipping a kill to the left of the defense.

Kucza added two more kills, including one from the backrow into the right back corner for a 12-12 tie. PBU gained a 14-12 lead, extending it to 18-16 on a Tuttle winner and 19-16 on a triple block by Dillon, Mawhinney and Prickett. NJCU bounced back. Two PBU errors, including one that led to a Boyle winner, cutting it to one, and a bad set allowed NJCU to tie it at 19-19. After a PBU timeout, Kucza gave NJCU a 20-19 lead with a kill off the block. Mawhinney had a kill to tie it before PBU committed a service error as NJCU regained a 21-20 advantage. But PBU would score the final five points of the set. Brubaker landed a kill and an NJCU attack error put the visitors ahead, 22-21. Brubaker added another kill after Edra kept the rally alive with an incredible diving reflexive dig. Brubaker landed a third late kill for a 24-21 lead and PBU took the set, 25-21 on a combo block by Dillon and Rose.

The fourth set was all PBU as the Eagles hit .364 with 14 kills (14-5-26) and had a 75 percent sideout rate (12-16); NJCU hit just -.094 (6-9-32). Tuttle had four kills in six swings and Rose and Brubaker had three kills apiece. PBU took an early 8-3 lead on three Brubaker kills. He only played half of the set as the visitors gained a commanding lead. A pair of kills by Tuttle made it 12-4. Kills by Rose and Tuttle, a solo block by Mawhinney and a combo block by Mawhinney and Prickett made it 16-6. A PBU kill and a NJCU attack error extended the lead to 19-10. An over ball kill by Rose extended the cushion to 21-12 before the Eagles clinched the match on a Prickett kill, 25-16.

NJCU returns to the court on Friday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. when it meets the University of New Haven in the opening match of the York College Invitational in Jamaica, NY.