New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES
SENIOR KNIGHT PHOTO GALLERY
SENIOR NIGHT CEREMONY VIDEO
GOTHIC KNIGHT INSIGHTS: Post-game interview with KENNY LISK (coming Wednesday)

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University sent senior outside hitter and co-captain KENNY LISK (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) out a winner in his final collegiate home match as the Gothic Knights clinched the No. 3 seed in next week's Skyline Conference Tournament by sweeping a conference match from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-18) on Tuesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'
 
NJCU wins its second straight and improved to 14-15 overall, 14-13 against Division III schools and 9-5 in the Skyline and breaks a head-to-head tie with The Sage Colleges for the third seed in the four-time conference tournament which will be held on April 14 at Kean University in Union, NJ with a berth in the first-ever NCAA Division III men's volleyball tournament at stake.
 
In its first year as an associate member of the Skyline, NJCU will meet No. 2 seed and archrival Ramapo College; top-seeded Kean faces Sage in the other semifinal. Times for all matches will be announced soon. NJCU and Sage split the season series, but the Knights won on Sunday, April 1 in four sets while the Gators needed five sets to knock off NJCU in Albany, NY on February 27. NJCU claimed the No. 3 seed based on a secondary tiebreaker of head-to-head set winning percentage.
 
NJCU also swept the season series from Mount Saint Vincent (11-15, 4-10 Skyline). The Dolphins finish in sixth place in the league. NJCU leads the all-time series, 24-19 and has won the past four meetings.
 
Six-time Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week and one-time Player of the Week and outside hitter BESMIR ARSLANI (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) slammed a match-best 13 kills and hit .296 (13-5-27) with five digs. He reached double figures in kills for the 22^nd time in 29 matches and posted a match-high in kills for the 16^th time this season.
 
Lisk, a four-year standout who now ranks No. 6 in program history with 953 kills, hit .222 with seven winners (7-3-18) and three service aces while rookie middle blocker PATRYK RUSZNICA (Cieszyn, Poland/Bayonne) sliced up a .462 attack percentage with eight kills (two errors) in 13 attempts while rejecting two blocks.
 
Junior setter/right side JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) provided 20 assists and six digs and junior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) chipped in 12 assists. Freshman opposite ANGEL MARTINEZ (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) unloaded three service aces.
 
MSV was led by senior setter Michael Sin (Hicksville, NY) with 27 assists while senior outside hitter Chris Bacchi (Hicksville, NY) finished with eight kills (8-4-24, .167) and three blocks for the Dolphins. Freshman middle blocker Brett Holiday (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) hit .308 with six kills (6-2-13), four blocks (two solo) and two aces. Senior middle blocker Joe Ecock (Brooklyn, NY) tallied seven kills (7-5-23, .087).
 
In the first set the clubs traded eight ties and four lead changes and with NJCU ahead 21-18, the Dolphins took advantage of back-to-back Knight attack errors and a double block by Holiday and Bacchi to tie the game at 21-21. Arslani and Bacchi went back and forth with kills for a 22-22 deadlock. But Rusznica buried a kill to put NJCU in front for good and teamed with Martinez on the next point for a block and 24-22 advantage. MSV committed an attack error on set point. Arslani hit .417 with six kills (6-1-12) in the period and Rusznica was a perfect 4-for-4 on attack as the Knights posted a 14-9 edge in kills.
 
In the second set, NJCU led by just one, 8-7, before unleashing a 9-3 spurt to gain a 17-10 cushion. MSV couldn't get any closer than 23-20 before kills by Beaumont and Martinez sealed the 25-21 game victory. Rusznica hit .400 in the set (3-1-5).
 
In the third set, Lisk capped his home career with a .600 hitting percentage on three kills and no errors (five swings). NJCU led 9-7 before the margin ballooned to 18-11, aided by back-to-back aces by Martinez. A kill by Arslani and a Dolphin error pushed the lead to 20-12 and Lisk floored kills for points 22 and 23 before MSV committed back-to-back attack errors for the final two points, including a combo block by Preston and Rusznica.
 
NJCU closes out the regular season on Thursday, April 5 at 7 p.m. when it meets SUNY New Paltz in New Paltz, NY. The Hawks (17-10) have been ranked as high as 12^th in the country and are currently receiving votes in the AVCA Division III Top 15 Poll. Mount Saint Vincent plays at #9 Vassar College tomorrow at 7 p.m.