New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score NEW YORK, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team unleashed 13 service aces and remained undefeated all time against Yeshiva University, sweeping the Maccabees, 3-0 (25-9, 25-17, 25-15) in a Skyline Conference road match on February 27.
 
In a balanced offensive attack, eight different Gothic Knights tallied a kill and seven players put away multiple balls as NJCU (4-8) won its fourth consecutive match and evened its conference ledger at 2-2. Yeshiva (1-6, 0-4 Skyline) was limited to a -.104 attack percentage (16-24-77).
 
"I'm proud of the way our guys took advantage of opportunities tonight," said first-year head coach Robert Cole. "We played cleaner volleyball in the serving game. We'll work on a few things tomorrow and rest up before two conference matches this weekend."
 
The Knights have registered double figures in service aces in each match during its current four-match winning streak and the serving game was the difference on a night where NJCU didn't need its top offensive weapons to produce.
 
Reigning Skyline Rookie of the Week, freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)), uncorked five aces and in an all-around effort hit .273 with six kills (6-3-11) and three blocks.
 
Junior outside hitter BILL LE (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) floored four aces and sophomore libero JON DIAZ (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) landed three more aces, adding six digs.
 
Sophomore middle hitter DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) landed a team-high seven kills, five digs and three blocks (two solo). Senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) delivered 22 assists and five digs. Sophomore opposite KENDALL TRIBBETT (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) hit .300 with four winners (4-1-10) and two blocks (one solo).
 
Menachem Goldstein accounted for half of the YU kills, finishing with a match-high eight winners (8-6-22) and three blocks. Adam Rhodes finished with 10 assists.
 
NJCU had 11 kills in the opening set and hit .300 (11-5-20). It had lower hitting percentages in sets two and three when the Knights collected nine and eight kills, respectively. But Yeshiva had a negative percentage in each period and never tallied more than six kills in a game.
 
In a match that needed 51 minutes to be completed, NJCU opened a 9-2 lead in set one behind the serving of Le and saw its advantage grow to 16-4 and 19-5 before scoring the final four points in a rout of an opening game.
 
In set two, Yeshiva challenged early, leading 9-8, before a kill by sophomore outside hitter RAYMEL CASTRO (Newark, NJ/Barringer), who then served the next three points, gave NJCU a 12-9 lead. Still ahead, 19-15, NJCU put the period away with five consecutive points, including three aces in four serves by Coure.
 
In the third set, Yeshiva jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Knights stormed back with a 13-2 outburst to claim a 13-7 differential and cruised to a double-digit period margin.
 
NJCU will seek to expand its winning streak on Saturday, March 1 when it heads to Riverdale, NY for a Skyline Quad hosted by the College of Mount Saint Vincent. NJCU faces host MSV at 11:30 a.m. before challenging The Sage Colleges in a 1:30 p.m. neutral court matchup.