New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

JAMAICA, QUEENS, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com)...Sophomore middle blocker INDIGO HATCHER (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) floored a career-high 12 kills and sophomore middle blocker JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) added 10 more as New Jersey City University improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2007, defeating York College (NY), 3-1 (25-15, 25-18, 23-25, 26-24) in a non-conference  match on Tuesday night at the York Gymnasium.
 
NJCU, which has defeated the Cardinals (2-4) in 13 consecutive meetings dating to the 1991 season, relied on its serving to put itself in a position to win, landing 14 aces—the third straight match with double digits in aces to open the year.
 
Hatcher, who had only reached double figures in kills once in her rookie season, hit .360 with only three errors on 25 attempts, and added two aces while Medley hit .286 (10-4-21) and rejected two solo blocks. Medley reached double figures in kills for the ninth time in her career and first time this season.
 
Sophomore libero JAMIKA STEVENSON (Jersey City, NJ/Hoboken) did not have a dig in the first two matches of the season yet relished a more contributory role, defending a career-best 15 digs for the Knights. She had just 11 digs in 13 matches as a freshman in 2011. She also landed four aces in the match after tallying just two all of last year.
 
Sophomore setter CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) distributed 31 assists and defended nine digs while senior opposite and setter KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side) equaled a match-best 16 digs. NJCU leads the all-time series with York, 14-1. Also for NJCU, sophomore outside hitter MARISSA SCARPA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had eight kills and eight digs
 
No player for the Cardinals had more than six kills. Junior libero Pamela Yap (Quezon City, Philippines) equaled a match-best with 16 digs and freshman outside hitter Allison Li (Brooklyn, NY) finished with 15 digs. Junior setter Evelyn Florentino (Brooklyn, NY) tallied 16 assists.
 
NJCU hit .303 with 14 kills as a team in the opening set, jumping out to a 12-4 lead. Scarpa hit .462 in the period with six kills and no errors and Medley had four kills in six swings.
 
The Knights only trailed on the first point of the second set and gained a 2-0 lead in the match. Hatcher had three kills in four swings in the game and the Knights floored six service aces.
 
There were eight ties and three lead changes in the third set. NJCU hit .138 with 12 kills in the frame. York led late, 22-19 before NJCU battled back to force ties at 22 and 23. The Cardinals extended the match to four sets after a service error and kill accounted for a 25-23 win.
 
Both sides hit negative in the fourth set (NJCU, -.111; York, -.077). York led 23-21 after a pair of NJCU attack errors before a bad set by the hosts and a winner by Hatcher tied it at 23-23. NJCU had match point after an attack error before York put one away for a 24-24 deadlock. Facing a possible fifth set, NJCU withstood the Cardinals and York made the final two mistakes, both attack errors, to end the match.
 
NJCU begins play in the New Jersey Athletic Conference on Thursday, September 13 at 7 p.m. when it hosts William Paterson University on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court' at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.