New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score NEW YORK, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | A frustrating start to the 2014 New Jersey City University's men's volleyball season continued on February 4 as the Gothic Knights lost a pair of two-point sets and dropped a 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-23) non-conference  decision to the City College of New York at Nat Holman Gymnasium.
 
With the loss, NJCU dropped to 0-5 for the first time in the 25-year history of the program and are still seeking its first set victory of the season (0-for-15). The loss snapped a 13-match, 14-year winning streak against CCNY (2-4).
 
In defeat, NJCU received a solid performance from sophomore outside hitter/opposite KENDALL TRIBBETT (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) slammed a career-high 11 kills at a .350 rate (11-4-20) with three blocks.
 
Senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) dished 30 assists and sophomore defensive specialist JON DIAZ (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) tallied a match-high 11 digs. Sophomore outside ANGEL MARTINEZ (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) finished with eight kills. Sophomore DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) had four blocks, including two solo stuffs. Freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)) chalked up five kills (5-2-9, .333) and two blocks.
 
CCNY, coached by former Gothic Knight men's volleyball player Daniel Crespo, who last suited up for NJCU in 2007, saw his club post a .264 percentage with 39 kills (39-16-87) while combining for 10.0 blocks.
 
Nicholas Siriban totaled a match-best 14 kills and hit .310 (14-5-29) with seven digs and four blocks, including three of the solo variety. Derrell Williams added a .409 attack percentage with 11 kills (11-2-22), three aces and three blocks.
 
Also for the Beavers, setter Anthony Reyes gave out 36 assists with three blocks. Brian Yik Lim collected nine kills (9-5-16, .250).
 
NJCU outhit CCNY in an opening set that saw eight ties and four lead changes. NJCU posted a .269 percentage on 13 kills; CCNY posted 11 kills at .185. However, NJCUs largest lead of the set was just four as the clubs played a tightly contested game. NJCU was in good shape to take the set when Tribbett's fourth kill of the game made it 23-20. But CCNY battled back and after a Siriban kill, Williams unleashed three consecutive aces against three different Gothic Knights to claim a 24-23 margin. Wilcox tied it at 24-24 with a winner before an NJCU service and attack error accounted for the final two points and a 26-24 CCNY decision.
 
NJCU was held to a -.032 rate in set two as the Beavers planted 11 kills and gained a 2-0 lead. Tied at 7-7, CCNY uncorked 9-2 run to seize a 16-9 cushion and pushed the lead to 20-11 before prevailing, 25-18.
 
The final set featured 10 ties and a pair of lead changes in an offensive battle where CCNY planted 17 kills at a .371 percentage (17-4-35) and NJCU landed 13 kills while hitting .258 (13-5-31). Trailing 19-17, kills by sophomore RAYMEL CASTRO (Newark, NJ/Barringer) and Martinez, tied it at 19-19. Even again at 20-20, Lim put away a set and Siriban chalked up back-to-back kills to move CCNY ahead, 23-20. Martinez and Tribbett kept NJCU alive with a pair of winners that shaved the deficit to one (23-22) before Williams made it 24-22, but committed a service error on match point. Siriban struck a kill on the second match point to clinch the game, 25-23.
 
A tough challenge awaits NJCU on Friday, February 7 at 7 p.m. when it faces Division I NJIT in Newark, NJ.

NOTES:

NJCU leads the all-time series, 23-6 Last CCNY win over NJCU was a 3-2 decision on March 15, 2003 in New York, NY. NJCU has lost nine consecutive matches dating to the end of the 2013 season. That breaks the program record for longest losing streak that stood at eight matches (March 5-25, 2004). KENDALL TRIBBETT's previous high was nine kills on three occasions—Wentworth (March 15, 2013; 5 sets), Hunter College (March 26, 2013; 5 sets) and Cairn University (February 1, 2004; 3 sets)