New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score NEWARK, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Division I New Jersey Institute of Technology posted a colossal .439 attack percentage as the Highlanders swept a non-conference men's volleyball match from New Jersey City University on February 7 at the Fleisher Center, prevailing 3-0 (25-11, 25-21, 25-11).
 
NJIT (4-1) put down 33 kills and committed just eight errors in 57 attempts as NJCU fell to 0-6 on the season and 0-18 in set play.
 
Freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)) was NJCU's high man, finishing with six kills (6-3-14, .214) and two blocks. Sophomores DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) and ANGEL MARTINEZ (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) each tallied five kills. Senior setter GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) totaled 21 assists.
 
Nine different Highlanders mustered kills for NJIT, led by Jabarry Goodridge with nine kills, a .500 percentage (9-1-16) and three blocks. Chris Kaepernick collected seven kills (7-4-14, .214). Ryan Thomas was a perfect 4-for-4 on attack in the middle and rejected three blocks. Kajetan Borecki chipped in a .667 rate with four kills (4-0-6). Setters Zak Robben and Luke Robbe delivered 13 and 12 assists, respectively.
 
"I thought we played as a team for the first time in the second set today," noted first-year head coach Robert Cole. "Guys put aside their personal agendas and gave a collective effort. Unfortunately, we went back to our old ways of playing as individuals with no energy. We're capable of competing with some great teams, but not if we give less than our best effort. It's not a question of talent. At this point it's a question of heart."
 
While NJCU has not had an easy schedule in its first six matches of the season—facing two Division I opponents and the current No. 1 ranked team in Division III (Juniata) in the early going—the Gothic Knights were not competitive in the first and third sets, twice losing 25-11 in periods where NJIT never trailed. NJIT opened leads of 7-0 and 10-1 in set one before rolling and the hosts had leads of 6-0, 7-1 and 13-4 in the final period.
 
NJIT, which served seven aces in the match, landed exactly 11 kills in each set, hitting .409 in game one (11-2-22), .286 in game two (11-5-21) and a sky-high .714 percentage in the third set (11-1-14).
 
The second set was the lone competitive period as the teams traded five ties and three lead changes. NJCU, which hit -.043 and -.118 in the two losing sets, posted a .227 percentage courtesy of 10 kills in the second game (10-5-22). But NJIT gained control midway through the set, surging in front, 19-13. NJCU was able to draw within two at 21-19 and 22-20 before the Highlanders edged the Gothic Knights in the period by four, 25-21.
 
NJCU will finally play its first home match of the season on Wednesday, February 12 at 7p.m. when it opens Skyline Conference action against two-time defending champion Kean University at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.