New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BOX SCORE
GAME PROGRAM/NOTES: Inside-the-Athlete feature, BESMIR ARSLANI
 
JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | In the only cross-Hudson County meeting this season, No. 6 ranked Stevens Institute of Technology had 17 players combine for a .386 team attack percentage as the Ducks defeated host New Jersey City University, 3-1 (25-12, 23-25, 25-18, 25-17) in a non-conference men's volleyball match on March 20 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on 'Coach Charlie Brown Court.'
 
Stevens, ranked sixth in the latest AVCA Division III Top 15 Coaches Poll won its 20^th match of the season and third in a row while knocking off NJCU (16-11) for the 26^th consecutive meeting since February 1998. However, when NJCU won set two, the Gothic Knights snapped Stevens' streak of 15 consecutive 3-0 wins in the series.
 
The Ducks had a 47-31 advantage in kills and hit above .400 in three of the four sets, including an astounding .692 in the opening game (10-1-13), when Stevens floored seven of its 12 service aces. The Ducks used its notable size advantage to combine for 10.5 blocks.
 
In defeat for NJCU, senior setter/opposite JUSTIN BEAUMONT (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) hit .375 with eight kills (8-2-16), 22 assists and five digs. Three-time Skyline Conference Player of the Week BESMIR ARSLANI (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley) posted a match-best 13 kills (13-12-39, .026) with six digs. It was the 37^th double digit kill effort in 52 career matches (.712) and the 13^th time in 21 matches this year Arslani has reached double figures. He also posted a match-high in kills for the 31^st time in his career.
 
For the Ducks, senior outside hitter Thomas Hannum (Libertyville, IL) had a team-best eight kills with only one error (11 attempts) for a .636 attack percentage in three sets. Junior outside David Evans (Penfield, NY) added seven kills and hit .400 (7-1-14) with two aces.
 
Also for Stevens, senior middle hitter Jake Modestow (Hampden, MA) had six blocks (two solo) in two sets, adding two aces and three kills in four swings for a .750 percentage. Junior outside Ryan Seifert (Chicopee, MA) tallied six kills and three blocks in hitting .364 (6-2-11) in two games while junior outside Tyler Mackanin (Rocklin, CA) collected a .455 percentage and six kills against one error (11 attempts) in one set.
 
Stevens utilized three setters. Sophomore Kevin Aeckerle (Henrietta, NY) dished 18 assists in 32 attempts for a .562 accuracy rate and added two blocks and two aces in a pair of games. Sophomore Dylan Schlosser (Emmaus, PA) and freshman John Eddins (Kula, HI) each chipped in 11 assists in one game apiece.
 
Stevens dominated the first set, hitting .692 with 10 kills against one error (13 attempts). It scored 20 of its 25 points off its own merit, adding seven aces and three blocks while never trailing en route to a 25-12 win. The Knights had three kills and committed five errors in the opener (-.167).
 
NJCU fought back in game two and overcame nine ties and three lead changes to tie the match at 1-1. Mackanin had six kills for Stevens; Arslani tallied four for NJCU. The Knights trailed 18-12 and 20-16 before scoring 13 of the final 18 points and nine of the last 12 to win by two, 25-23. Tied at 21-21, a Stevens attack error followed by a combo block by freshman middle DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) and freshman outside/setter JONATHAN FONT (San Sebastian, Puerto Rico/Patria Latorre Ramirez) made it 23-21. The Ducks drew within 23-22 and 24-23, but each time Arslani answered with a kill for the final two points.
 
NJCU held a 12-10 margin in kills in game three but the hosts committed nine errors as the Ducks put down 4.5 blocks and Stevens hit .400 as a team with only two errors (10-2-20). Arslani had six kills in the period for the Knights. Tied at 10-10, the Ducks scored the next five points behind the serve of Evans and Modestow had two kills and a solo block during the run. NJCU was able to whittle the deficit down to two, 20-18, before Stevens took advantage of five consecutive Gothic Knight errors—a service mistake followed by four straight errant attacks. Seifert and Modestow teamed for blocks on the final two points of the 25-18 win.
 
The fourth set was won handily by the Ducks who never trailed and hit .455 with 13 kills against three errors (13 attempts). Evans hit .571 individually with four kills before the visitors claimed the set by eight points.
 
NJCU is back on the court in the 13^th of 17 home matches this year on Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. against Hunter College.