DALLAS, PA (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Alvernia University swept New Jersey City University in the opening match before hosting Misericordia University downed the Gothic Knights in four sets as NJCU dropped both ends of a non-conference tri-match on October 11. NJCU fell to the Crusaders in the neutral court contest, 26-24, 25-14, 25-11 before the host Cougars defeated NJCU, 3-1 (25-13, 25-12, 18-25, 25-13).
 
The loss snaps a three-match winning streak for NJCU (5-15). NJCU was playing Alvernia (6-7) for the first time in 10 years. The contest with Misericordia (14-13) was the first-ever meeting.
 

TEAM STAT COMPARISON
	NJCU	ALVERNIA
Score:	0	3
Attack Percentage (K-E-TA):	.068 (17-13-59)	.284 (33-10-81)
Kills:	17	33
Assists:	15	27
Service Aces:	2	5
Digs:	27	29
Total Blocks:	0.0	6.0
Points:	19.0	44.0

Alvernia 3, NJCU 0 (26-24, 25-14, 25-11)
The Crusaders hit .284 and had nearly twice as many kills as NJCU—33-17—in the sweep. Liz Newman led the MAC Commonwealth Conference school with 14 kills, a .444 percentage (14-2-27) and two blocks and was the lone player with more than four kills.
 
Alvernia had 13 kills in set one when it hit .229 and managed to hold off NJCU by two points. The Crusaders stayed consistent from there with a .333 attack and 12 winners in the second game and a .316 rate in the third set.
 
Senior middle hitter Jade Medley (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) had a team-high eight kills in two sets, hitting .143 (8-5-21). Senior right side Ashley Latushko (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) landed three kills and hit .200 (3-1-10) with five digs. No other NJCU player had more than two kills or five digs. New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) tallied 12 assists.
 
The Knights hit .068 in the match and after eight kills in the tight first set, accounted for only nine more putaways in the final two games.
 
Also for the Crusaders, Jamie Morris had 26 assists while McKenna Achenbach tallied four blocks and hit .308 with four kills (4-0-13).
 
Misericordia 3, NJCU 1 (25-13, 25-12, 18-25, 25-13)
The Cougars, members of the MAC Freedom Conference, posted an incredible .407 attack percentage, pounding out 38 kills against just five attack errors (81 attempts) to roll past the Knights in the three sets it won. NJCU was limited to 19 kills and a -.022 attack (19-21-90).
 
Senior middle hitter Indigo Hatcher (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) was NJCU's only player with more than two winners. She slammed eight kills and hit .294 (8-3-17). McIntyre had her fourth career double-double with 12 assists and 10 digs while adding two aces. Latushko provided nine digs.
 

TEAM STAT COMPARISON
	NJCU	MISERICORDIA
Score:	1	3
Attack Percentage (K-E-TA):	-.022 (19-21-90)	.407 (38-5-81)
Kills:	19	38
Assists:	13	329
Service Aces:	4	9
Digs:	38	45
Total Blocks:	2.0	3.5
Points:	25.0	50.5

For MU, 16 players saw court time. Meghan Stack was the most productive player, hitting .800 with eight kills and no errors in 10 swings in three sets. She added two aces. Nicole Tagerty distributed 20 assists and five service aces while landing two kills in as many swings. Paige Shaughnessy hit .556 for the Cougars with six putaways (6-1-9) and six digs. Shelby Brochetti had 10 digs.
 
NJCU had 10 kills when it won the third set, attempting to rally, but could only muster nine kills in the other three games including two each in the first and second sets. The Knights hit -.348 in the second set with two kills against 10 attack errors.
 
MU had 11 kills in the first set when it hit .360 (11-2-25) and then went errorless in game two—nine kills in 17 attempts for a .529 percentage. After a decrease to a .278 in game three (7-2-18), the Cougars finished off the match with 11 kills and only one miscue (21 attempts) for a .476 percentage in the fourth period.
 
OF NOTE:

• Alvernia leads the all-time series with NJCU, 2-0.
• It was the first meeting with Alvernia since November 12, 2004—a 3-0 loss in the ECAC Division III South Quarterfinals held in Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Misericordia leads the all-time series, 1-0.
• Misericordia's .407 attack percentage was an opponent season high. The previous best was .333 by Cabrini on September 6. The five attack errors are also a season low for an opponent.
• The last time an opponent had five or less attack errors was Richard Stockton College on October 9, 2012 when the Ospreys committed only four errors.
• Jade Medley increased her career totals to 1,029.5 points, 878 kills and 177 blocks (104 solo). She needs 122 more kills to become the fourth Gothic Knight with 1,000 career kills—a milestone she is on pace to reach. Sarah Torres (2005-08) with 961 kills is next on the all-time list.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU returns home for back-to-back NJAC home matches on October 14 and 16 against Kean University and Rutgers University-Camden.