New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score

• BOX SCORE
• GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University burst out to an 18-8 lead in set one but didn't have the firepower to hold off a talented Hunter College team, as the Hawks rallied to win the opening game before sweeping the match, 3-0 (25-21, 25-9, 25-12) in a non-conference match on September 25 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.”
 
Hunter (8-5) wins for the seventh time in its last nine outings and improves to 10-5 all-time against the Gothic Knights (3-5). NJCU has dropped its last five matches and 15 straight sets since opening the season with a 3-0 record.
 
The Knights hit in positive numbers in the first and third sets, but a lackluster second period (3-12-22, -.409) put NJCU's team hitting percentage into negative territory for the third time this season—all in consecutive matches. NJCU hit -.095 with 17 kills and 25 errors (84 attempts). Hunter landed 27 kills versus 15 errors (84 attacks) for a .143 rate.
 
In defeat, sophomore CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial), typically NJCU's starting setter, made her first career start at libero and defended a match-best 16 digs to equal her season high. It was her 15^th career match with double digit dig totals.
 
Senior KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side) added nine assists. No Gothic Knight finished with more than five kills.
 
Hunter had a balanced attack with no player amassing more than six kills, and a strong serving game that including 16 aces. Hunter also used its height to reject 9.0 total blocks.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Paulina Jobczyk (Middle Village, NY) tallied six kills, six aces and five assisted blocks while sophomore outside Lucia Stosic (Astoria, NY) stuffed seven assisted blocks and landed five kills for a .364 attack rate (5-1-11), adding three aces.
 
Senior libero Karolina Krauze (Middle Village, NY) dished 14 digs for the Hawks. Senior setter Mia De Claro (Westbury, NY) delivered 12 assists while sophomore opposite Taylor Kordich (West Islip, NY) added 10 assists and five kills.
 
NJCU opened up a huge lead in set one, coming out strong behind sophomore outside hitter MARISSA SCARPA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), who had three kills in the opening game. Meanwhile, Hunter made eight opening attack errors as the initial NJCU swelled to 18-8. But the Knights couldn't hold it as Hunter scored 10 consecutive points behind the serving of Krause, to pull even at 18-18. Jobczyk had two kills and one ace in the final moments of the set as Hunter extended its final run to 17-3, winning the opening game 25-21, after a double block and an ace by Stosic.
 
The final two sets was all Hunter. The guests only tallied four kills in the second game, but NJCU's attack inefficiency helped the Hawks claim a 13-3 lead, before winning the set 25-9. Hunter landed seven aces in the set and 21 of the Hawks 25 points came directly from Gothic Knight errors.
 
In the third set, Hunter hit .333 as a team, collecting 11 kills versus just three errors. Jobczyk served the final five points of the match, landing three aces to complete the sweep for the Hawks.
 
NJCU looks to end the skid when it hosts Ramapo College in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match on Thursday, September 27 at 7 p.m. Hunter visits John Jay College that day at 6 p.m. in CUNYAC action. Hunter owns an impressive 46-3 record in its league since 2007, reaching the NCAA Tournament four times since 2006.