New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

MAHWAH, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Ramapo College had a 44-19 advantage in kills and defeated New Jersey City University, 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-15), in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match on Tuesday evening at the Bill Bradley Center.
 
NJCU falls to .500 overall at 2-2 (0-2 NJAC) while the Roadrunners won their sixth straight match, improving to 7-3 and 2-0 in the league. NJCU has won eight of the last 12 meetings but Ramapo leads the all-time series, 21-7.
 
In defeat, NJCU rookie setter CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) notched her third double-double in the first four matches of her collegiate career, delivering 14 assists and 13 digs while landing three aces.
 
Senior libero MICHELLE RAYO (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) defended 12 digs while junior outside hitter KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side) finished with 10 digs and was one of four players to tally four kills on a night where much of NJCU's offense came from its serving. The Knights uncorked seven aces in the loss.
 
Ramapo junior outside hitter Julia Tuzio (Paramus, NJ/Paramus) hit .393 and had a match-high 14 kills (14-3-28), adding three aces. Senior outside hitter Michelle Ferrari (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) added a .276 percentage and 12 kills (12-4-29). Senior setter Tiffany Fischer (Woodcliff Lake, NJ/Pascack Hills) provided 31 assists and 11 digs for the Roadrunners. Senior outside hitter Allison DiAngelo (Clifton, NJ/Clifton) and senior libero Elizabeth Steck (Marlton, NJ/Cherokee) each defended 12 digs.
 
Ramapo had 17 kills in the opening set and jumped out to a 13-2 lead before winning 15-5. The hosts had a 16-8 kills margin in the second set but that period was much closer, with four ties and three lead changes.
 
RCNJ led 18-14 in game two before the Knights went on a 6-2 run and gained a 20-19 lead after a kill by junior opposite BRITTANY EREZUMA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), an ace by senior outside hitter TABITHA JORDAN (West New York, NJ/Memorial) and a RCNJ error. But Ramapo fought back, scoring the next four points—three on Gothic Knight errors. Martinez had a pair of kills to keep NJCU alive before Ramapo took the set by three, 25-22.
 
The Roadrunners jumped out to an 18-9 lead in the third set. NJCU was able to whittle the deficit to five, 20-15, before Ramapo scored the final five points of the match on the serve of Tuzio, who ended the contest with an ace.
 
NJCU is back on the court on Thursday, September 22 at 6 p.m. in a non-conference road match against John Jay College in New York, NY.