Box Score 1 | Box Score 3 Medley's 1000th Kill, Ceremony and Interview

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Senior middle blocker Jade Medley (Queens, NY/Hudson Catholic) put away 30 kills in nine sets over two matches to become the fourth player in New Jersey City University women's volleyball history to notch 1,000 career kills, accomplishing the feat in the final set of her collegiate career, but the Gothic Knights suffered a pair of season-ending losses on day two of the NJCU November Invitational at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
 
In the opening match, NJCU dropped the first two sets to John Jay College, battled back to force a fifth set before losing to the Bloodhounds for the first time since 1994, dropping a 3-2 (25-23, 25-13, 16-25, 18-25, 15-12) decision.
 
The Gothic Knights had already qualified for the tournament finals after going 2-0 on day one of the event. But after sweeping the College of Staten Island on November 1 and winning the opening set of the first/second place matchup, NJCU's receiving game struggled mightily and the Dolphins claimed the tournament title with a 3-1 (22-25, 29-27, 25-11, 25-18) result.
 
NJCU concludes its 32^nd season of intercollegiate women's volleyball at 8-25 and 2-2 in the tournament. CSI (11-13), went 3-1 on the weekend.
 
In the third-fourth place match, John Jay (11-13), after losing both matches on day one of the event, swept City College of New York (10-23), by a 25-23, 25-16, 25-19 outcome. In the other early match on Sunday, Staten Island defeated CCNY, 3-1 (25-9, 20-25, 25-14, 25-14).

BOX: Staten Island vs. CCNY | John Jay vs. CCNY
 
Senior libero Marissa Scarpa (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) had a combined 39 digs in two matches, including a career-best 27 against John Jay. She reached double figures in digs for the 14^th and 15^th time as a senior in 39^th and 40^th time in four years.
 
A Medley of History
Entering the day 26 kills shy of 1,000 for her career, Medley powered home 17 in the five-set loss to John Jay before adding 13 in the four-set setback to CSI.
 
Medley, NJCU's lone selection to the All-Tournament Team on the weekend, finished her career with 1,004 career kills and exactly 200 blocks (116 solo, 84 assisted), generating 1,174.0 career points.
 
Only Lizzelle Cintron, one of the greatest player in Division III history, who had 2,894 kills from 2004-07, Jacqueline LeBlanc (2005-08) with 1,352 kills and Melissa Pablos (2000-03), the first player to reach the milestone (1,143) had more winners in their careers.
 
Medley reached double figures in kills for the 40^th and 41^st times in her career and 16^th and 17^th times this season.

2014 NJCU November Invitational All-Tournament Team
NAME	SCHOOL	POSITION	YEAR	HOMETOWN
Selma Kolenovic	Staten Island	MH	JR	Staten Island, NY
Leticia Marotti	CCNY	OH	SR	Brooklyn, NY
Kathlen Sanchez Dos Santos	CCNY	S	SR	Elmhurst, NY
Rachel Eng	John Jay	OH	FR	Germantown, MD
Jade Medley	NJCU	MH	SR	Queens, NY
Pola Poskrobko	Staten Island	MH	SR	Staten Island, NY
Victoria Wong	Staten Island	L	SO	Staten Island, NY

 








MATCH 1: John Jay 3, NJCU 2 (25-23, 25-13, 16-25, 18-25, 15-12):
John Jay snapped NJCU's 20-match winning streak in the series, knocking off the Gothic Knights for the first time in 20 years and for the first time ever in Jersey City.
 
NJCU received 33 of its 47 kills from its two middles, as Medley smashed 17 winners at a .289 percentage (17-6-38) and Haxhaj delivered a .467 percentage with 16 kills and only two attack errors (.30 swings). Medley also posted four blocks—two solo—and Haxhaj had two blocks.
 
Scarpa defended a career-high 27 digs—her second career effort of 20+ digs in a match (22, October 12, 2013 vs. MCLA)
 
Freshman setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) posted the first of two double-doubles on the day—the seventh and eighth of her career—finishing with 41 assists, 10 digs and six of NJCU's 10 service aces. Also for NJCU, senior right side Ashley Latushko (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) defended a career-high equaling 17 digs.
 
John Jay was led by Rachel Eng with 13 kills, 19 digs and a .195 percentage (13-5-41) while setter Katherine Bonilla added a double-double of 37 assists and 10 digs. The Bloodhounds also received a .389 percentage and eight kills by Hakimah Lovell-McFee (8-1-18) while Latanya Bickham finished with eight kills and eight digs. Perla Pozo defended 12 digs.
 
MATCH 2: Staten Island 3, NJCU 1 (22-15, 29-27, 25-11, 25-18):

Medley made history in a match where she put away 13 kills and hit .267 (13-5-30) with three blocks and sophomore middle hitter Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) floored 10 kills (.200, 10-4-30) with a pair of blocks. McIntyre and Scarpa each contributed 12 digs while McIntyre tallied 28 assists and three more aces.
 
But NJCU committed a combined 61 errors in the match—26 attack errors and 22 reception errors the paramount culprits in the loss. Staten Island's 22 service aces were a season high and the most by an opponent in eight years.
 
Pola Poskrobko had a near quadruple-double, instead finishing with a rare triple-double—15 kills, 14 digs, 10 aces and seven blocks (two solo, five assisted) while hitting .400 (15-3-30).
 
Poskrobko, Selma Kolenovic and Siobhan Granich combined for 39 of the Dolphins' 42 total kills. Granich had 13 kills, hit .400 (12-2-25) and three blocks while Kolenovic put away 12 kills at a .333 rate (12-5-21) with nine digs. Setter Brittany Minondo finished with 32 assists, six aces and six digs.
 
QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Robert Cole (first season; third year with program):
"It was tough to end the season on a sour note. Progress was made [this year] and we believe the program is headed in the right direction. The coaches will ramp up the recruiting and build this program from the ground up. Our underclassmen will be in the gym everyday getting better; the 2015 season starts tomorrow."
 
OF NOTE:

• NJCU leads all-time series with John Jay, 24-3. NJCU had its 20-match winning streak in the series snapped. It was John Jay's first-ever win over NJCU in Jersey City and its first win against the Gothic Knights since October 8, 1994 (3-1, neutral court at Ramapo).
• NJCU leads the all-time 'Bayonne Bridge Series' with CSI, 10-6. CSI won for just the second time in the last nine meetings.
• The previous opponent season high for aces was 21 in the season opener vs. Wesley (Del.) on August 29. The last time an opponent had at least 22 aces was September 16, 2006 when St. Lawrence landed 32 aces in four sets. CCNY previously had 23 aces on October 16, 2003.
• Ashley Latushko had 10+ digs in a match for the 16^th time in her career and ninth time in 2014. She equaled her high of 17 digs set in five sets against Mount Saint Mary (NY) on October 26, 2013.
• Shege Haxhaj reached double figures in kills for the seventh and eighth times this season and 13^th time in her career.
• Jade Medley finished her career fifth all-time in points, passing Cheryl Nitschke (1159.0 points, 1992-95) on the day. The all-time NJCU point leaders:

1.             3604.5    Lizzelle Cintron                 (2894k 229a 310-343b)        2004-07
2.             1594.5     Melissa Pablos                    (1143k 271a 158-45b)           2000-03
3.             1558.5     Jacqueline LeBlanc             (1352k 140a 21-91b)            2005-08
4.             1244.5     Sarah Torres                        (961k 93a 74-233b)               2005-08
5.             1174.0     Jade Medley                        (1004k 12a 116-84b)             2011-14
6.             1159.0     Cheryl Nitschke                 (857k 274a 26-4b)                1992-95

• Jade Medley finished her career fourth all-time in blocks. The all-time NJCU blocking leaders:

1.             653          Lizzelle Cintron (491 sets)                                2004-07
2.             307          Sarah Torres (448 sets)                      2005-08
3.             203          Melissa Pablos (391 sets)                   2000-03
4.             200         Jade Medley (413 sets)                       2011-14
  
 
WHAT'S NEXT?
The 2015 women's volleyball schedule will be announced in the summer.