New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com)...New Jersey City University jumped out to leads of 6-0 and 8-2 in the fifth set and completed a comeback from a 2-1 sets deficit to improve to 2-0 on the season, rallying past SUNY Old Westbury, 3-2 (25-15, 11-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-10) in the 2012 home opener on Wednesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.” NJCU hit a decisive .444 in the fifth set with eight kills and no errors to complete the comeback.
 
Senior opposite and setter KIARA MARTINEZ (Newark, NJ/East Side) notched her first career double-double, including a career-high 10 kills to guide NJCU to the non-conference win over the Panthers (1-3). NJCU leads the all-time series, 10-2, and has won eight of the last nine meetings since 1990.
 
Martinez hit .258, defended 10 digs and dished six assists in the win while sophomore middle blocker JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) pounded eight kills at a .357 attack rate (8-3-14).
 
“It was a great match from a competitive and teaching standpoint,” said first-year head coach Ray Vance, who was able to play 13 different athletes in the win. “We learned a lot about what we need to do and what happens when we don't but also learned how to fight through adversity as a team and work together to achieve the ultimate goal which is the win. SUNY Old Westbury was a really solid team and played with great intensity and effort. Learning to win is one of the toughest things for a team to learn and we had a good lesson in that tonight.”
 
Sophomore setter CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) distributed 22 assists, eight digs and two aces for the Knights. Sophomore opposite KELYSHA EDWARDS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) provided six kills and hit .364 (6-2-11) in four sets of action.
 
“Great playing by captain KIARA MARTINEZ and JADE MEDLEY really helped us to turn the corner with dominating performances,” Vance added. “The team fought through some tough stretches and made some dominant runs.”
 
Old Westbury outplayed the Knights statistically, with a 40-32 margin in kills and a 19-13 differential in service aces. But the Panthers committed 37 attack errors and just .023. Meanwhile, NJCU managed to limit its errors, committing less than half of that—just 18 errors—as the hosts posted a .124 team attack percentage.
 
Junior middle hitter Jocelyn Small (Massapequa, NY/Amityville Memorial) led all players with 16 kills. She made 10  errors on 40 swings for a .150 percentage. Junior outside hitter Jennifer Jean (Levittown, NY/Division Avenue) had a double-double of 16 digs, 11 kills and landed five aces, but committed 12 attack errors (36 swings) for a -.028 rate. The remainder of the Panthers had 13 kills.
 
Junior setter Kimberly Catania (Islip, NY/Islip) had a double-double of 29 assists and 13 digs while freshman setter/right side Courtney Gallagher (Rockaway, NY/Channel View School for Research) landed a match-high seven aces, adding six digs. Freshman libero Allie Giancola (Floral Park, NY/Floral Park Memorial) defended 13 digs.
 
NJCU dominated the opening set, leading the entire period despite only collecting six kills. The Knights limited their attack errors (two) while the Panthers committed 12 and hit -.226 in the game. The Knights opened a 19-9 lead before winning 25-15.
 
The momentum began to swing in the second set as Old Westbury led the entire period, utilizing a strong service game to open a 21-6 advantage. The Panthers landed eight aces in the set, including six by Gallagher, and OW had an 11-4 margin in kills.
 
A competitive third set saw 11 ties and seven lead changes with OW holding on for a 25-21 win and a 2-1 lead in the match. Martinez (4-0-7, .571) and Medley (4-0-6, .667) each were errorless on attack in the set. NJCU led 19-17 before OWU scored six of the final eight points.
 
The fourth set wasn't pretty offensively with each side hitting in negative territory. OW had a 10-5 edge in kills but committed 13 errors (-.086). Medley floored three kills for NJCU. Trailing 17-13 in the fourth set, NJCU needed a rally and got it, unleashing a 10-3 run to seize a 23-20 cushion. Medley had a pair of kills during the run and NJCU landed three late aces, including one by freshman MARLENE HERNANDEZ (Newark, NJ/Bloomfield Tech). Martinez made it 24-21 with a kill before a bad set by OW sent the match to a fifth set.   
 
And that final set was all NJCU. Garcia helped stake NJCU to a 6-0 lead with a pair of aces and Martinez had a key line shot kill. When an over ball by freshman libero SINIA AMANONCE (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) landed for a kill and Edwards put away an attack, NJCU led 8-2. Edwards and Medley each chalked up another winner to make it a 10-4 lead. OW pulled with 12-8 before Martinez floored a kill and senior outside hitter BRITTANY EREZUMA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) put down a kill on an over ball for match point. Sophomore outside hitter MARISSA SCARPA (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) tooled a kill off the block to clinch the 15-10 final outcome and seize the match.
 
Next on the slate is a non-conference match on Tuesday, September 11 at 8 p.m. against York College (NY) in Jamaica, Queens, NY.