New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score BRONXVILLE, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University used its service game to ace Maritime College off the court, landing 23 aces in a three-set, 3-0 sweep of the Privateers, 25-8, 25-9, 25-19 in the opening match of the Sarah Lawrence Invitational on September 21. In the first meeting between the schools in 10 years, NJCU trailed just once.
 
NJCU (2-7) won its second match of the season as five different players notched at least four aces while the Gothic Knights registered its highest team service ace total since the NCAA transitioned to 25-point rally scoring in 2008. Maritime is 0-8.
 
While NJCU had an incredible 18-4 advantage in kills, it did not need to rely on its offense. Junior setter MADELYN LEON (West New York, NJ/Memorial) served five aces in just two sets. Senior libero CINDY GARCIA (West New York, NJ/Memorial), sophomore setter SINIA AMANONCE (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) and freshman outside hitter COURTNEY CALLAHAN (Bayonne, NJ/St. Dominic Academy) each floored four aces in two sets of action while freshman middle blocker SHEGE HAXHAJ (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) had four aces in three sets. In all, 14 NJCU players saw action in the win.
 
Offensively, junior middle hitter JADE MEDLEY (Queens, NJ/Hudson Catholic) hit .333 and had a third of NJCU's kills with a line of six kills and two errors in 12 attempts, adding one solo block. Haxhaj chipped in four kills and one solo block. Amanonce (six assists) and Leon (five assists) directed the light attack.
 
Meanwhile, NJCU held Maritime to a -.333 attack percentage, committing 18 errors in 42 attempts. Alyssa Pourmonir had 13 digs for the Privateers.
 
NJCU landed nine aces in the opening period. After a 6-6 tie, NJCU opened a 9-7 edge. Garcia uncorked three consecutive aces and Leon later served three more as the Knights scored 16 of the final 17 points of the set.
 
In game two, NJCU floored 10 more aces and opened leads of 6-1, 10-3 and 17-5 before cruising to a 25-9 victory. NJCU never trailed in either of the final two sets.
 
In game three, the Knights grabbed a 7-2 cushion. Six consecutive NJCU errors allowed the Privateers to get back in the game (15-13) and two more attack errors by the Knights saw the period reach a 16-16 deadlock. But NJCU responded with a 7-0 run behind the service of Amanonce, while Maritime committed four attack miscues and the Knights won by six points, 25-19.