New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES: Inside-the-Athlete feature, DAQUE WILCOX

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University never trailed and eight different players registered multiple kills as the Gothic Knights swept a Skyline Conference men's volleyball match from Yeshiva University, 3-0 (25-15, 25-13, 25-16) on February 19 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'
 
NJCU (7-5, 4-3 Skyline) hit .288 as a team with 34 kills (34-15-66) while limiting the Maccabees (3-10, 0-7 Skyline) to a -.057 attack rate with 15 kills and 18 errors (53 attempts). NJCU improved to 24-0 all-time against Yeshiva (all sweeps). NJCU owned a 52.0-19.5 advantage in points earned in the match.
 
Senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) was one of only three players for NJCU to see action in all three sets as the Knights utilized 13 players and its reserves logged most of the action in the final set and a half. Preston led with 32 assists in 63 attempts for a .508 setting percentage.
 
Freshman opposite HAMZA ELSAMMAK (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) had a match-high seven kills and hit .308 (7-3-13), adding two blocks in a starting role while freshman outside hitter NICK POH (Richmond, VA)/Varina (VA)) posted a .400 percentage with six kills (6-2-10) and a solo block in two sets as a starter.
 
Freshman outside hitter ELICIO OLIVARES (West New York, NJ/Memorial) uncorked five service aces and added two kills in four swings in a reserve role while sophomore outside hitter BILL LE (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) hit .600 with four kills (one error) on five attempts in two sets. Senior outside hitter JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and sophomore middle blocker IVAN PRENSA (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) each collected four kills and Beaumont chipped in a pair of aces.
 
Junior middle blocker Menachem Goldstein (Chicago, IL) equaled a match high with seven kills for Yeshiva (7-7-18, .000) and added a pair of assisted blocks while senior outside hitter Elchanan Margolis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) hit .231 with five winners (5-2-13). Junior setter Adam Rhodes (Los Angeles, CA) finished with 12 assists.
 
NJCU had double figures in kills in each set, with 11, 13 and 10, respectively, and floored 15 service aces in the win.
 
NJCU hit .217 in the first set (11-6-23) and led from start to finish, grabbing leads of 6-1, 14-5 and 18-11 before scoring the final four points in a 25-15 decision.  
NJCU had its best attack percentage in set two at a .400 rate (13-5-20). Leading 6-3 early, the Knights used a 9-0 run behind the serving of freshman JORDON CASILLAS (Clifton, NJ/Passaic County Tech) to vault in front by a commanding 15-3 differential as Poh pounded out three kills in a span of four points. NJCU inserted its reserves and cruised to a 25-13 win.
 
The Knights backups showed promise in the third set, hitting .261 as a group (10-4-23). Olivares put NJCU in front early, serving three consecutive aces to help build a 6-1 cushion, which expanded to 12-3. Yeshiva came as close as three points midway through the set, 17-14, before the Knights capped the match with an 8-2 run to win by nine, 25-16.
 
NJCU will hosts its third quad match of the 2013 campaign on Saturday, February 23, beginning at 10 a.m. as Gallaudet University, Lehman College and Penn State University-Behrend come to the JMAC for a two-court, six-match event.