New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 BOX SCORE: NJCU vs. Wentworth
BOX SCORE: Brooklyn vs. CCNY
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Wentworth Institute of Technology hit .345 as a team and combined for 7.0 team blocks as the Leopards upended New Jersey City University in three sets, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-16) in the final match of the season-opening New Jersey City Quad at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.”
 
Wentworth (3-1), which earlier in the day posted a 3-1 win over City College of New York and a 3-0 sweep of Brooklyn College, went undefeated in the three matches on January 26. NJCU went 2-1 with wins over Brooklyn (3-0) and CCNY (3-0). The Beavers defeated their City University of New York Athletic Conference foe, Brooklyn, 25-16, 25-16, 25-22, in the other quad finale.
 
“Wentworth is a solid squad with good setting and very solid middle play,” praised first-year head coach Ray Vance, whose Gothic Knights suffered their first loss after a 2-0 start. “Their ball control and execution was the key to their wins in all three of their matches. Their outsides played well and seized on opportunities when they were presented to them.”
 
Wentworth had 41 kills and 11 errors on 87 attempts and was led by junior outside hitter Ross Burdett (Needham, MA) with a match-best 14 kills and a .500 attack percentage (14-2-24). Sophomore outside hitter Rami Akouri (Fall River, MA) had the strongest all-around effort with 13 kills, a .440 attack rate (13-2-25), six assisted blocks and two aces.
 
Junior middle blocker Brian Mann (East Freetown, MA) hit .600 with six kills and no errors (10 attempts), adding five assisted blocks. Senior setter Tyler Moriarty (Wilbraham, MA) had 37 assists and 11 digs while setting to a .507 percentage. Freshman libero Zach Newhouse (Lancaster, CA) defended 10 digs.
 
NJCU was limited to a .012 attack percentage (23-22-85). Freshman opposite JONATHAN FONT (San Sebastian, Puerto Rico/Patria Latorre Ramirez) was the lone primary attacker in positive hitting territory, finishing with seven kills and a .235 rate (7-3-17).
 
Sophomore outside hitter BESMIR ARSLANI (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) had seven kills, but for only the third time in 34 career matches was held to a negative attack with seven kills and eight errors (23 attempts, -.043) while facing a double and triple block much of the match, but he recovered to uncork a match-best four service aces and added eight digs.
 
Senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) dished 20 assists and freshman libero NICK POH (Richmond, VA)/Varina (VA)) provided 10 digs. He finished with 26 total digs in nine sets in the first time he has played the position on any level.
 
Wentworth reached double figures in kills in each set, and set the tone for its win with a .458 percentage in the opening game (13-2-24). There were eight ties and four lead changes in the game. Tied at 15-15, WIT moved in front by three on kills by 6-foot-7 sophomore middle Sean Donahue (Lincoln, RI) and Akouri. Three NJCU errors allowed the Leopards to pull further ahead before Burdett landed a winner for 22-16. WIT won the period by that same margin, 25-19. Burdett led WIT with a .625 percentage (5-0-8) in the frame while Akouri added a .667 rate and four winners.
 
The second set was even tighter with 12 ties and four lead changes. The Leopards hit .379 in the set with 14 kills (14-3-29), paced by Burdett who hit .667 and had a kill on seven of his nine swings (one error). Akouri provided five kills on 10 attempts (no errors, .500) as those two players helped the visitors move in front, 2-sets-to-0.
 
The game came down to the end. After a WIT setting error forced the 12^th tie at 20-20, the Leopards scored the final five points. Two kills by Burdett, each time followed by a combo block from Mann and Akouri made it 24-20 before Akouri landed a shot to seal the 25-20 outcome.
 
In NJCU's ninth set of an exhausting season opening day of matches, Wentworth hit .235 with 14 kills (14-6-34) and the Knights were limited to six winners. NJCU never led and WIT opened leads of 18-10 and 20-12 before taking the period, 25-16.
 
In the Brooklyn vs. CCNY contest on the other court, junior outside Yik Lim (Staten Island, NY) posted a match-high 12 kills (12-8-30, .133) and 14 digs for a double-double for the Beavers. Fellow CCNY junior outside hitter Jose Castillo (Bronx, NY) added seven kills, six digs and two aces and senior opposite Rubin Taipi (Yonkers, NY) added seven kills, seven digs and four aces. Sophomore setter Bryan Hu (Brooklyn, NY) finished with 24 assists.
 
Four players had four kills to pace Brooklyn. Junior setter Timothy Hui (St. Paul, MN) totaled nine assists, eight digs and four kills, hitting .273 (4-1-11).
 
Summing up the first competition of the long, 32-match season, Vance said: “I am very pleased with how we started the season as a whole. We are a very young team with a lot of new players but have excellent leadership in captains Bezz Arslani and JUSTIN BEAUMONT to help with the player's transition into college volleyball. There were definitely some butterflies at the start of the day but we did well. Our ball control and defense was very solid all day and our serving and hitting efficiencies were pretty solid throughout. The level of intensity was good as was our communication and we are looking to build on that throughout the year.”
 
“The team competed well and made some really solid adjustments. We are well on our way to being the team we want to be but it'll take a lot of hard work, commitment and discipline. Almost the entire roster saw time in different roles as we try to find what works best for us during that match. The guys really supported one another and that is often a major hurdle that teams don't overcome which keeps them from maximizing their potential. NICK POH did a great job in his collegiate debut at libero—his first time ever playing the position.”
 
Bezz and Justin are all-conference caliber and run the show on the court. Jon Font had a solid debut and Gary Preston ran a solid offense for us. The Ivan [Prensa], Daque [Wilcox] and Donell [Gee] combo in the middle worked hard all day and continue to grow and compete. Our defense and serving, led by JON DIAZ, ELICIO OLIVARES, RAYMEL CASTRO and JORDON CASILLAS was pretty good but we need to improve on the consistency and execution. KENDALL TRIBBETT showed glimpses of how he can be a dominant force for our team as did HAMZA ELSAMMAK in limited action. BILL LE did a solid job as an outside hitter as well.”
 
NJCU is away for the first time in 2013 on Tuesday, January 29 at 7 p.m. when it visits York College in Jamaica, Queens, NY in non-conference action.