New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score Game Program/Notes: Gothic Knight Insights feature, KENDALL TRIBBETT

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University had its best offensive performance of the young season against two-time defending Skyline Conference champion Kean University, but the Cougars size and experience was too much to overcome as Kean edged NJCU, 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-21) in the league opener for both schools on February 12. The match at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court) was also NJCU's home opener.
 
Kean (5-6, 1-0 NJAC), which dropped out of this week's AVCA Division III Men's Top 15 Coaches Poll after losing a pair of matches to Top 10 opponents (#4 SUNY New Paltz, #9 NYU), entered the match having received 12 points in the February 11 poll, equivalent to a No. 16 ranking. After winning the 2012 and 2013 Skyline titles, Kean was the league's preseason favorite while NJCU (0-7, 0-1 Skyline) was selected fourth.
 
In defeat, sophomore middle hitter DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) slammed nine kills (9-4-19, 263) and stuffed two blocks while freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)) powered the offense with a  .500 attack percentage with seven kills (one error) in 12 swings and two blocks.
 
Also, senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) distributed 30 assists at a .448 percentage (67 attempts). Sophomore opposite KENDALL TRIBBETT (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) added seven kills. Sophomore outside hitter ANGEL MARTINEZ (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) landed five kills and two service aces.
 
"I was pleased with our effort," said first-year head coach Robert Cole. "We played with energy and had a good game plan going in. Daque and Sheldon played very well and kept us in the match. A few bad breaks and some unforced errors didn't help our cause."
 
Kean was paced by reigning Skyline Conference Player of the Week Ed Jedziniak (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough), who landed a match-best 11 kills at a .318 rate (11-4-22), adding three aces and three blocks.
 
Former Gothic Knight BESMIR ARSLANI (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley), who transferred to Kean after the 2013 season when he was named First-Team All-Skyline for a second time, finished with nine kills (9-4-17, .294) and three blocks. Fellow junior outside hitter John Cunningham (Cinnaminson, NJ/Cinnaminson) hit .400 with seven kills (7-1-15). Sophomore middle blocker Tommy Rosario (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) collected six kills (6-2-12, .333) and four blocks. Junior setter Ron Dunn (Collingswood, NJ/Collingswood) dished 32 assists at a .438 rate (73 attempts) and had two blocks. Kean tallied nine blocks in three sets as a team.
 
There were 10 ties and three lead changes in the first set when Kean had a 12-10 advantage in kills. Tied at 18-18, a kill by Rosario and a combo block by Rosario and Jedziniak made it 20-18. NJCU drew within one (20-19), before the Cougars scored the next three to claim a 23-19 lead and won on a kill by Cunningham.
 
Kean held a 13-10 edge in second set winners when there were eight ties and two lead changes but the Cougars began pulling away midway through the period, opening leads of 19-13 and 21-14. NJCU clawed back within two, 23-20 on back-to-back aces by Martinez before Arslani took the set from his former teammates with a kill.
 
The third set was the most competitive with Kean owning a 14-12 margin in kills but NJCU holding a slight edge in hitting percentage. There were nine more ties and five lead changes. Trailing 19-16, NJCU battled back and took a 21-20 lead on a Wilcox winner. But Kean tied it with a kill and Jedziniak unleashed three consecutive aces before the Cougars had a combo block on match point to seal it.
 
NJCU will host a Skyline Conference two-court, four-match Quad on Sunday, February 16 at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., hosting NYU-Poly, Ramapo College and Yeshiva University. NJCU will face Ramapo in the early match and NYU-Poly in the second contest.

NOTES:

Kean leads the all-time four-year series, 8-0. NJCU has lost 11 consecutive matches dating to the end of the 2013 season—the longest losing streak in program history. NJCU has dropped 21 consecutive sets to open the season and its last 29 sets since a 3-1 loss at Sage on April 10, 2013.