New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University senior outside hitter TABITHA JORDAN (West New York, NJ/Memorial) led the way with match highs of 10 kills and four service aces as the Gothic Knights improved to 2-0 on the season with a 3-1 (25-14, 20-25, 25-20, 25-17) non-conference victory over York College (NY) on Thursday at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.”
 
NJCU defeated York for the 12^th consecutive meeting since 1991 and is now 13-1 all-time against the Cardinals, who fell to 0-4 on the season.

Jordan added seven digs with an attack line of 10-7-25 and junior opposite BRITTANY EREZUMA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) added seven kills and a .235 percentage (7-3-17). Rookie middle hitter INDIGO HATCHER (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) hit .286 with five kills and only one error, while landing three aces.
 
Also for NJCU, freshman setter CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had a near double-double, finishing with 24 assists and nine digs. Senior libero MICHELLE RAYO (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) had eight digs while junior defensive specialist AMANDA DOPICO (West New York, NJ/Memorial) matched Jordan with a match-best four aces. Junior outside hitter KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side) finished with seven kills, six digs and three aces. NJCU landed 15 aces as a team and hit a collective .143 with 36 winners.
 
York freshman middle blocker Stayce Kay Muirhead (St. Catherine, Jamaica) led the Cardinals with a .429 attack percentage and eight kills (8-2-14), with two aces. Freshman outside hitter Yasheka Lewis (St. Thomas, Jamaica) contributed seven kills (7-2-20, .250), nine digs and three aces. Sophomore setter Pamela Yap (Quezon City, Philippines) dished 13 assists and nine digs while sophomore setter Evelyn Florentino (Brooklyn, NY) added 19 assists and two aces.
 
With the first set even at 6-6, NJCU unleashed a 13-2 run to seize a 19-8 lead before cruising to a convincing opening set win, 25-14. The Knights hit .333 in the period with 13 winners (13-4-27). NJCU led 13-8 after a scoreboard protest was upheld and added to the lead with consecutive kills by Martinez, Jordan and Hatcher, before Dopico floored a pair of aces. A kill by Jordan on a tip off an over pass made it 24-13 before the Knights took the set on one of 59 errors the Cardinals committed in the match.
 
In the second set there were 10 ties and seven lead changes. NJCU led 17-13 when Erezuma tipped a kill over a double block but the Cardinals fought back and tied it at 16, 17, 18 and 19 before gaining a 20-19 lead on a double block. The Cardinals scored five of the final six points of the set, including the final two on a pair of Gothic Knight errors for a 25-20 win.
 
In the third set, NJCU held a 13-12 edge before uncorking nine of the next 10 points to seize a 22-13 cushion, scoring eight straight points off the serve of Jordan, who landed a pair of aces during the run. York chipped away and drew within three points, 23-20, as Muirhead served a pair of aces. But a kill from Martinez followed by a York attack error, allowed NJCU to claim the set, 25-20.
 
In the fourth set, NJCU never trailed after the opening possession of the period and jumped out a 16-7 lead on a Martinez ace. The Cardinals made a run, cutting it to 18-15. But Jordan made a huge play to seize the momentum, dumping a shot into the back right corner from the right side position for a 19-15 lead, before landing an ace for a 20-15 edge. Dopico added another ace before the Knights won the match on a York error.
 
NJCU will open play in the New Jersey Athletic Conference on Thursday, September 15 at 7 p.m. when the Knights face William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ.