New Jersey City University Athletics

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JAMAICA, QUEENS, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University sophomore outside hitter BESMIR ARSLANI (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) exceeded 25 kills in a match for the second time in his career but York College twice edged NJCU by two points in a set and defeated the Gothic Knights for the first time since 1996, in a 3-1 result (25-16, 27-25, 23-25, 27-25) on March 9 in the third match of the 9^th annual York College Men's Volleyball Classic.
 
NJCU (13-8), which defeated York (17-6) by a 3-1 margin on January 29, had its 15-match winning streak against the Cardinals come to an end. NJCU lost for the first time at the tournament and had a four-match win streak snapped. There were a combined 36 ties and 19 changes during the match.
 
Arslani crushed 25 kills (25-14-67, .164) and was the primary weapon with more than half of NJCU's 132 attack attempts. He defended 12 digs and rejected eight blocks, including three solo stuffs in recording his eighth career double-double and second this weekend. He also reached the 20-kill plateau for the seventh time in his career and the second time this weekend—two winners shy of his career best.
 
He posted the 32nd double digit kill effort of his career in 46 career matches (.696) and the eighth time in 15 matches this season while posting a match-high in kills for the 26^th time in his career.
 
Senior setter JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) registered his 22^nd career double-double, fifth of the season and second in a row with 36 assists and 13 digs. Freshman middle blocker DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) floored eight kills (8-5-15, .200) and added three blocks (one solo) while sophomore middle blocker IVAN PRENSA (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) contributed five blocks (one solo). Senior libero GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) defended nine digs.
 
York had two players reach double digits in kills, led by junior middle blocker Leszek Stankiewicz (Iychy, Poland) with 16 kills, a .312 percentage (16-6-32) and three blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Edner Geffrard (Arcahaie, Haiti) added 12 kills (12-6-37, .162), eight digs and three blocks.
 
In a two-setter rotation, freshman Avinash Thomas (Mavelikara, India) dished 23 assists, nine digs and three blocks and sophomore Jon Peter Sardea (Dededo, Guam) added 21 assists, six digs and two aces. Junior libero Terrence Sutton (Brooklyn, NY) defended 15 digs.
 
York had a 12-8 edge in kills in the first set when Arslani had five winners for NJCU. Tied at 8-8, the Cardinals took control of the  set with an 8-0 run to seize a 16-8 margin as the Knights committed six errors. The margin rose to 21-10 before York won by nine points, 25-16.
 
In the second, third and fourth sets, there were double digit ties and five lead changes in each period and in the second game, the clubs traded 10 ties. York had a 15-9 margin in kills in the set and Arslani had seven of NJCU's nine winners (7-3-14, .286). York led early, 13-7, before the Knights rallied with an 8-1 run to claim a 15-14 edge. York regained an 18-16 cushion before the Knights scored the next five points—two Arslani kills and three York attack errors—to stake a 21-18 lead. But the Cardinals clawed back and tied it at 23-23 on a kill by Stankiewicz. A winner by Wilcox gave NJCU set point, but a service and attack error gave York a 25-24 advantage. After a service error made it 25-all, Stankiewicz put away a kill and Geffrard and Thomas combined for a block on Arslani on set point, 27-25.
 
NJCU got back in the match by taking a third set that saw 12 ties and five lead changes, as each school collected 13 kills. Arslani again led the way with six kills (6-1-18, .278) and three blocks (two solo), and Wilcox added four kills. Geffrard had five kills for York and Stankiewicz collected four in seven attempts (.429). NJCU hit .235 in the set (13-5-34) and led at the midway point, 15-12, before the Cardinals rallied to gain a 16-15 cushion. Each time the Cardinals took a one-point lead the Knights managed to tie it and that held true at 20-19 and 22-21. NJCU scored four of the final five points of the game—a kill by Wilcox and an Arslani/Prensa block made it 23-22 before Arslani stuffed a solo block for 24-22. York drew within one before Arslani put away an attack to force a fourth set, 25-23.
 
Each team had 12 kills in a back-and-forth fourth set in which neither team could get separation on the scoreboard. Arslani had seven kills (7-5-20, .100) and four blocks (one solo) in the period. The Knights led 21-19 after an ace by freshman ELICIO OLIVARES (West New York, NJ/Memorial) and a solo block by Wilcox. The Cardinals ran off the next four points for a 23-21 advantage, including an ace by Stankiewicz and a Geffrard kill, before Arslani slammed back-to-back kills to force a 23-23 tie. Geffrard made it match point with a kill before Arslani put away a shot for a 24-24 deadlock. Geffrard had an attack error that gave NJCU a 25-24 lead and a chance to force a fifth set. But NJCU gave it back with a service miscue to tie it at 25-25—the 10^th tie of the set. Graduate outside hitter Jhonnattan Fernandez (Bronx, NY), who had five kills and hit .444 in the match (5-1-9), gave York another match point before he and Geffrard combined for a block on Arslani to seal the win, 27-25.