New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University immediately faced two difficult opponents on the first day of the 2014 season and the Gothic Knights dropped both matches, losing to No. 3 ranked Juniata College, 3-0 (25-9, 25-16, 25-12) before falling to Division I Rutgers-Newark, 3-0 (25-9, 25-14, 25-11), at The Golden Dome Invitational hosted by Rutgers-Newark on January 16. NJCU's third match with first-year program Marymount University was cancelled.
  The multi-time national champion Eagles entered the match ranked No. 3 in Division III in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 15  Coaches Poll and received one No. 1 vote and Juniata backed that ranking up by going 2-0 at the Golden Dome Invitational. Juniata also defeated Rutgers-Newark, 3-1, in the second match.
 
In the second-ever meeting between the schools (February 18, 2012: No. 4 Juniata 3, NJCU 0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-15)), the Eagles received contributed from 13 players and used its considerable size to post a decisive .325 attack percentage. Juniata had 36 kills and only committed 11 errors in 77 attempts. Meanwhile, Juniata uncorked 10 service aces and added six blocks.
 
Matthew Kinnebrew hit .474 with 11 kills (11-2-19), three aces and two blocks. Ryan Shelton dished 19 assists and seven digs while Carlos Faccio delivered 11 assists. Joe Bortak at 6-foot-7, was one of four other players with four or five kills, finishing with four winners (4-1-9, .333), three aces and three blocks (one solo).
 
NJCU, led by first-year head coach Robert Cole, had 27 digs against the national championship contenders. Senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) dished 11 assists. Sophomore outside hitter DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) finished with three kills and two blocks.
 
NJCU struggled offensively with no player managing more than three kills and the Knights hit -.085 overall (15-21-71).
 
Juniata hit .318 in the opening set (10-3-22) and .423 in the third set (13-2-26) while limiting the Knights to a -.348 rate in game one (3-11-23). NJCU did reach positive territory in the second and third sets. Juniata never trailed in any of the three sets. NJCU's best chance of getting back in the match came in set two as the Knights tied the game at 11-11 and 12-12 before the Eagles ran off a 10-3 streak to gain a 22-15 advantage. In the second match, Rutgers-Newark, in transition from Division I to Division III, hit .329 overall with 36 kills and only eight errors (85 attempts) while stuffing seven blocks in a sweep of NJCU.
 
In only the second meeting between the clubs (February 21, 2012: L, 1-3 (24-26, 21-25, 25-21, 24-26), the Scarlet Raiders used 14 players to win its first match of the season and Jack Fredricks hit .227 with a match-best nine kills (9-4-22), eight digs and three blocks. Jose Mendez was errorless in 14 attempts, landing six kills (.429) and Travis Mintzer also didn't commit an error, hitting at a .462 pace with six kills (6-0-13), three blocks and two aces. Kevin McCandless and Alex Barnhard had 15 and 12 assists, respectively.
 
Preston led NJCU with 12 assists and eight digs. Wilcox led NJCU with four kills (4-2-12, .167). Freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)) also collected four kills.
 
The Raiders had 12 kills in game one, hitting .267 (12-4-30) and their hitting percentage increased in the next two sets—.296 (10-2-27) and .429 (14-2-28). NJCU had just one kill in game one and hit -.318. The Knights were at a -.030 in game two. The Raiders never trailed or were tied in the first or third set.
 
NJCU will open its home schedule on Sunday, January 26 when it hosts Lehman College and Penn State University-Altoona in a tri-match at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court), with match times at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. NJCU will play the first and third matches of the event.