New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score MORRISTOWN, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | After playing an exhausting 130-minute match to open the 2013 season, the second contest of the season-opening tri-match was more disappointing for New Jersey City University women's volleyball. NJCU could only manage 10 kills in three sets, and the Gothic Knights were swept by Notre Dame of Maryland University, 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-18), in the second match hosted by College of St. Elizabeth on August 30.
 
The neutral-court match was the first-ever meeting between the schools. NJCU (0-2) hit -.063, and was aced 16 times by the Gators (1-0) in that program's opening match. Notre Dame only hit .093 as a team but had a nearly 3-to-1 advantage in kills, 29-10. NJCU committed 15 attack errors; the Gators did not have a block.
 
Most of NJCU's offense came from freshman middle hitter SHEGE HAXHAJ (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) in her NCAA debut. She finished with six kills (6-3-21, .143) and put down two blocks (one solo). Senior libero CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had 15 digs—her 32^nd career match with double figures in the category—and finished the two-match season opener with 33 digs in eight sets (4.13 per set).
 
The Gators were led by Cortney Silvis with 10 digs, eight kills (8-4-20, .200) and two aces and Paige Kitchen served four aces with 23 assists. Cleaya Antes defended a match-high 19 digs. Kamelya Medina finished with eight kills (8-4-20, .200) and two aces while Marylu Ortiz uncorked six aces and had five kills.
 
After hitting at a .000 rate in game one, Notre Dame took control of the match by hitting .409 as a team in set two, finishing with 11 winners (11-2-22). NJCU had five kills in the second set, but just two in game one and three in the final game.
 
NJCU will play another tri-match to open the campaign on Saturday, August 31 in Bryn Mawr, PA as the Knights face host Bryn Mawr College at 11 a.m. and Wesley College at 1 p.m. in a neutral-court contest.