New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE

RIVERDALE, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University sophomore outside hitter BESMIR ARSLANI (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) posted the 30^th double digit kill effort of his career by planting a match-high 10 winners on a .471 attack percentage and the Gothic Knights completed a 2-0 record at this weekend's Skyline Conference quad by sweeping host College of Mount Saint Vincent, 3-0 (25-10, 25-19, 25-16) at the Sharp Center on March 2.

In a match that lasted just 56 minutes, NJCU (11-7, 6-4 Skyline), won for the sixth time in eight matches by posting a team hitting percentage of .337 with a 40-23 advantage in kills over Mount Saint Vincent (3-11, 3-7 Skyline). NJCU swept the season series after winning in Jersey City on February 2. NJCU never trailed in the first or third sets and posted double digits in the kills column in each period.
 
Arslani had 10 kills versus two errors (17 attempts) while adding seven digs and five of NJCU's seven service aces. He reached double figures in kills for the 30^th time in 43 career matches (.698) and the sixth time in 12 matches this year. He posted a match-high in kills for the 24th time in his career.
 
Freshman middle blocker DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJU/Camden County Tech) continues to impress, hitting .467 with eight kills against one error (15 attacks) and three blocks. Freshman libero JON DIAZ (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) finished with a match-high 10 digs—his third double-digit defensive effort of the season.
 
Senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) provided 32 assists on 63 attempts for a .508 setting percentage, while defending eight digs. Rookie opposite HAMZA ELSAMMAK (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) posted a .667 attack percentage with four kills (no errors, six attempts) in just two sets.
 
Also for the Knights, freshman outside hitter NICK POH (Richmond, VA/Varina (VA)) collected six kills (6-3-17, .176), six digs and two blocks while sophomore middle blocker IVAN PRENSA (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson)  registered a .571 attack rate with four kills  and no errors (seven attempts), while stuffing two blocks (one solo).
 
Sophomore middle hitter/outside hitter Brett Holiday (Stratford, NJ/Sterling) was the Dolphins' top player, finishing with eight kills (8-5-23, .13) and eight digs. Sophomore setter James DiGiovanni (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) tallied 18 assists. Freshman outside Dylan Lolli (Sickerville, NJ/Sterling) had six kills and two blocks while junior right side Timothy Kolodny (Woodland Hills, CA) added six kills.
 
The first set was overwhelmingly in NJCU's favor as the Knights hit .542 with 14 kills and just one error (24 attempts), while CMSV had just seven winners. Arslani hit .700 in the set and slammed seven of his 10 kills without an error on 10 swings. Wilcox was 3-for-4 and Poh added two kills on four swings. Lolli had three kills in the set (.500, six attempts). The outcome was never in question as NJCU scored the first five points and held margins of 13-2, 16-3 and 23-6  before cruising by 15, 25-10.
 
NJCU had a 14-9 cushion in kills in game two and hit .219 (14-7-32). Wilcox and Prensa each had three kills on five attempts and Poh had four kills. Holiday (4-1-7, .429) and Kolodny each had four kills. The Dolphins led early, 12-9 before NJCU uncorked an 8-1 run to grab a 17-13 advantage. Elsammak and Wilcox had back-to-back winners to break a 12-12 deadlock. CMSV would draw back within one, 20-19, after kills by Kolodny and Lolli, sandwiched around two NJCU attack errors. But NJCU scored the five points of the game, including back-to-back putaways by Prensa before Poh floored an attempt on set point, 25-19.
 
In the third set, NJCU had a 12-7 edge in kills and hit .296 (12-4-27), as five different players notched at least two kills. Freshman middle hitter DONELL GEE (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill West) had three kills in his only period of action (3-1-7, .286). NJCU never trailed and ahead by three (9-6), ran off six consecutive points, including back-to-back winners by sophomore outside BILL LE (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) before going in front, 15-9. CMSV couldn't draw close than four (19-15), the remainder of the game. Back-to-back kills by Gee set up a 24-16 lead before the Knights prevailed on an attack error.
 
NJCU is back in action on Friday, March 8 at 6:30 p.m. when it participates in the first day of the two-day, four-match York College Tournament in Jamaica, Queens, NY, against the University of Puerto Rico.