New Jersey City University Athletics

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NJCU vs. St. Joseph's
NJCU vs. Farmingdale
NJCU vs. CCNY
Catholic vs. St. Joseph's
Catholic vs. Farmingdale
CCNY vs. St. Joseph's
GAME NOTES/PROGRAM: Gothic Knight Insights feature, CINDY GARCIA, ROSEMARY BRITO, Vallerie Ballestas
SENIOR DAY PHOTO GALLERY
VIDEO HIGHLIGHT: CINDY GARCIA's 1000th career dig


JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University senior libero CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) wrapped up her career in style, compiling 62 digs in three matches, including the 1,000^th of her career on Senior Day 2013, as the Gothic Knights posted a 1-2 record at its NJCU November Quad on November 2 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.' Garcia earned All-Tournament Team accolades as NJCU posted a season-ending 3-1 win over City College of New York (27-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-19).
 
In NJCU's first two matches of the day, the Knights dropped a pair of 3-1 decisions, falling to St. Joseph's College (LI)—21-25, 25-12, 25-18, 25-19—and Farmingdale State College—25-20, 25-13, 20-25, 25-11. The Knights conclude their 31^st season of intercollegiate women's volleyball with an 8-29 ledger.
 
In neutral court matches, Catholic University (22-14) completed a 4-0, two-day appearance in Jersey City by sweeping St. Joseph's and Farmingdale by 3-0 scores—25-18, 25-17, 25-15 against the Golden Eagles and 25-19, 25-22, 25-16 vs. FSC. St. Joseph's downed CCNY, 3-0 (25-12, 25-12, 25-18) to go 2-1 in three matches. Farmingdale State (13-22) went 1-1 in its two matches while St. Joseph's (19-12) was 2-1. CCNY (10-21) lost both matches it played.
 
Garcia, NJCU's lone senior, entered the day needing two digs to become the ninth player in school history to reach the 1,000-dig milestone and accomplished the feat just nine points into the first match against St. Joseph's, to give the hosts a 6-3 lead. She finished her three-year career, including just one as the club's primary libero, with 1,060 digs.
 
Meanwhile, she posted 21, 16 and 25 digs in her three matches. She equaled her career high of 25 digs, achieved five times including four times this year. She finished her career amassing 20 or more digs in a match 13 times and reaching double figures in digs 48 times.
 
NJCU also received a solid effort from junior outside hitter JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NJ/Hudson Catholic), who had 13 kills (13-3-36, .278) against SJC and a .414 percentage with 17 kills (17-5-29) in the win over CCNY. She compiled 32 digs and hit .222 on the day (32-12-90). Medley reached double digits in kills for the 23^rd and 24th times in her career and 10^th and 11th this season. She moved into a share of seventh place in school history with 680 career kills with one season remaining.
 
  NJCU won the opening set against a school tied for second place in the Skyline Conference (with Farmingdale), but the Gothic Knights could not find an answer for All-Tournament team selection Heather Ferchland, who had a sensational effort with 21 kills and only one error (36 attacks) for a .556 percentage. Meanwhile, setter Julianne Tierney, also an All-Tournament Team pick, delivered a huge double-double with 50 assists (.386), 24 digs, three aces and two blocks.
 
Garcia had 21 digs for NJCU, reaching her 1,000-dig milestone in game one. Medley posted a .278 attack percentage with 13 winners against just three miscues (36 attempts). Freshman middle blocker Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) had a nice effort with nine kills (9-5-35, .114) and junior middle blocker INDIGO HATCHER (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) had five kills and no errors (.227, 22 attempts).
 
Junior setter MADELYN LEON (West New York, NJ/Memorial) amassed her fifth double-double of her inaugural season with the Knights, tallying 27 assists and 10 digs.
 
Also for the Eagles, Melissa Garibaldi totaled 11 kills and six digs and Erin Kelly chipped in a .353 attack clip and eight putaways (8-2-17). Libero Taylor Ahmed defended 23 digs and Courtney Wickline dished 10 more.
 
SJC had a 56-36 margin in kills in the match, posting consistent totals of 15, 15, 14 and 12 in the four periods. NJCU slammed 15 kills at a .310 rate in game one (15-2-42), but just six, seven, and eight, respectively, in the final three.
 
The Knights led the entire first set but never really challenged SJC in game two. There were seven ties and four lead changes in the third set before the Eagles pulled away midway through the period. In game four, NJCU battled to force a fifth set and the squads traded 11 ties and five lead changes. But three NJCU errors allowed the Eagles to claim a 20-16 edge and they iced it from there. The Rams received a pair of double figure kill efforts and landed 43 as a team to knock off NJCU in four sets in the 12 p.m. match. Sarah Palladino led FSC with 14 kills (14-8-39, .154), 10 digs and three blocks while All-Tournament Team selection Maia Cadle-Hinton added 11 winners and a .400 attack percentage (11-3-20) with three aces. Francesca Calderon delivered 20 digs and three aces. Barbara Wright notched a .417 rate with seven kills (7-2-12) and five blocks.
 
Haxhaj was NJCU's top offensive player, landing nine kills (9-7-28, .071). Hatcher added five kills and three aces but no other players tallied more than three. Garcia defended 16 digs. Leon dished 22 assists and landed three aces.
 
Also for Farmingdale, setter Megan Pisciotta  paced the Rams with 35 assists, eight digs and three aces as the guests served 16 overall. Samantha Morra tallied 10 digs and five aces. Kenia Peralta collected nine digs, five kills and a.357 percentage (5-0-14).
 
FSC had nine kills in game one before pushing that total to double figures in the second (13), third (11) and fourth (10) sets.
 
NJCU led 17-14 in game one before an 8-0 run behind the serving of Pisciotta, including two aces, and three blocks by Wright allowed the Rams to hold off the Knights, 25-20. The Rams were dominant in the second set, slamming a .500 attack rate on 13 kills and one error (24 swings).
 
Despite six ties in game three, NJCU never trailed, opening a 12-6 advantage. FSC would tie it at 16 and 17 and drew within one again late, 21-20 before a kill by junior KELYSHA EDWARDS (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) and ace by freshman ELYSSA MAGEE (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) made it 23-20 and two Ram errors sealed the win, 25-20. But a dominant fourth set by FSC clinched the win as the Rams never trailed after building an early 10-2 margin. NJCU trailed big in the first and fourth sets but each time found the perseverance to battle back and was victorious in its final match of the 2013 season. Garcia's collegiate career ended with a win and with a personal-best-equaling 25 digs and four assists.
 
Medley was outstanding, slamming a number of line shots or tipping balls to open space en route to collecting a match-high 17 kills and a .414 attack (17-5-29) with two blocks. Leon delivered 37 assists and seven digs. Junior outside hitter  MARISSA SCARPA, a team co-captain who missed the first two matches of the tournament, responded with eight kills (8-4-26, .154), seven digs and two aces.
 
Also for the victors, Haxhaj had seven kills and three blocks (two solo) and Hatcher tallied nine kills (9-6-33, .091) and three blocks (one solo) while junior opposite ASHLEY LATUSHKO (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) landed four aces while passing eight digs. Rookie defensive specialist JESSICA PEREZ (Cliffside Park, NJ/Cliffside Park) contributed eight digs and three aces.
 
CCNY, coached by former NJCU men's volleyball standout Daniel Crespo, received 16 kills from All-Tournament Team selection Leticia Marotti. She hit .151 (16-8-53) and added a double-double with 17 digs and three aces.
 
Saye-Chantl Joseph tallied 10 kills (10-3-28, .250), three aces and three blocks (two solo) and Joanne Ling finished with six kills (6-2-18, .222), seven digs and four aces. Setter Victoria Del Toro finished with 31 assists and 10 digs. Veralucia Quispe totaled 16 digs.
 
The Knights posted double figures in kills in the three sets they won—12, 12 and 13, respectively. NJCU had a 12-6 advantage in kills in the third set and 13-9 in game four.
 
In game one there were nine ties and five lead changes and NJCU fell behind early, 5-0 and 12-7 and 15-11, but kept fighting and behind a 7-2 run, tied the set before gaining an 18-17 lead. The clubs traded tied at 18, 19, 20 and 22, with Haxhaj and Medley landing big kills. NJCU led 23-22 after an error before a Marotti kill and NJCU error gave the guests set point, 24-23. After a double block by Hatcher and Medley tied it at 24-24, another Marotti kill made it 25-24. But two CCNY errors, followed by a smart kill to open space by Hatcher clinched a 27-25 win.
 
In game two, CCNY opened an early 9-3 lead. The Knights clawed within two, 19-17, before the Beavers scored six of the final eight points to tie the match.
 
In the third game, NJCU finally jumped ahead early, gaining a 9-3 advantage as Latushko uncorked three aces. CCNY slowly whittled the margin away in a period that saw five ties and two lead changes. NJCU was ahead 13-11 before CCNY bounced back with a 7-1 spurt to claim an 18-14 cushion. CCNY had three aces during the streak. But NJCU rallied to tie it at 18-18 with a double block by Haxhaj and Latushko, and kills by Scarpa and Hatcher. Tied at 19-19, two attack errors put the Knights ahead and they kept it. Leading by one, 22-21, NJCU scored the next three points before winning on a CCNY attack error.
 
In game four, CCNY jumped ahead, 5-1 and 8-4 and still clung to leads of 13-8 and 16-13. But one more rally was in the tanks for a squad that had played five matches in less than 24 hours. A 7-0 burst allowed NJCU to claim a 20-16 advantage behind the serving of Leon, who had one ace. After a block by Haxhaj tied it at 16-16, back-to-back Scarpa kills made it 18-16 and two attack errors extended the lead to 20-16. CCNY cut the deficit to 20-19, but NJCU sealed the victory by scoring the final six points of the afternoon, including three winners by Medley and back-to-back slams to end it.