New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score GAME PROGRAM/NOTES: Gothic Knight Insights, BILL LE

JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Sophomore opposite KENDALL TRIBBETT (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) put away 11 kills in three sets as New Jersey City University defeated NYU-Poly, 3-1 (25-0, 23-25, 25-11, 25-21) in a Skyline Conference men's volleyball match on March 27 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court'). In a match that started 70 minutes late, NJCU was awarded the first set via forfeit.
 
With the win, NJCU (9-13, 5-3 Skyline) enhances its position for the conference tournament and snaps a three-match losing streak. NYU-Poly drops to 5-15 (2-5 Skyline). It was the 29^th and final meeting between the schools in a series NJCU leads, 29-0.
 
Tribbett reached double digits in kills for the second consecutive match and third time in his career, finishing one shy of equaling his career high achieved on March 23. He hit .217 with 11 winners (11-6-23), five digs and two aces. Sophomore outside hitter ANGEL MARTINEZ (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) hit .333 with eight kills (8-3-15), seven digs and two aces while sophomore outside hitter BILL LE (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) delivered a .417 attack percentage with seven winners (7-2-12), four digs and two blocks.
 
Senior setter and captain GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) distributed 32 assists with six digs and two blocks, pacing NJCU to a .226 attack percentage.
 
Freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)) had an off-night on attack, finishing with only four kills—his lowest total since February 16—but he made up for it with five blocks. Sophomore middle hitter DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) finished with six kills and a .308 percentage (6-2-13). All 11 Gothic Knights on the roster saw time in the win.
 
For the Blue Jays, senior Fild Kroqi had half of the team's 26 kills, finishing with a match-high 13 winners (13-7-27, .222) and seven digs. Senior setter Rishi Sarkar tallied 21 assists and six digs. John Simon added five kills.
 
After the first set was forfeit to NJCU, it was the Gothic Knights who started slow after waiting around for more than an hour after completing their scheduled pre-match warm-up. While NJCU had 14 kills in the opening set, the Knights committed 10 errors. Poly, after its warm-up, had 12 kills in the set, hitting .200.
 
Poly held a slim lead for much of the second set before four straight NJCU errors—a service miscue and three attack errors by Le, Martinez and Coure—allowed the Blue Jays to seize a 21-16 advantage. A kill and ace by Martinez, followed by consecutive blocks by Coure, the first a combo block with Le before another block teamed with Tribbett, allowed NJCU to draw within two, 23-21. Coure, who entered the matched ranked No. 18 in Division III in hitting percentage, made several uncharacteristic late errors, including an attack miscue giving Poly its 24^th point. A kill by Tribbett and a Poly ball-handling error shaved the deficit to one, 24-23, but on set point, Kroqi dropped a back row roll shot in front of three NJCU players and the visitors escaped, 25-23.
 
But NJCU took charge in the third and fourth sets, hitting a staggering .500 in game three with 12 kills (12-2-20) before putting away Poly in set four with 13 winners (13-6-34, .206).
 
In the third set, NJCU never trailed. Tied at 3-3, NJCU scored eight consecutive points, mostly behind the serve of Tribbett to build an 11-3 advantage and extended the run to 12-1 as it seized a commanding 15-4 margin before cruising to the 14-point, 25-11 outcome.
 
NJCU led for most of the fourth set although Poly kept it close, never trailing by more than four points later in the set. A kill by Kroqi drew the guests within two, 23-21, before a Coure winner and a tip kill by sophomore RAYMEL CASTRO (Newark, NJ/Barringer) sealed the match, 25-21.
 
For the second time this season, NJCU heads to Riverdale, NY on March 29 for a Skyline Conference quad hosted by College of Mount Saint Vincent. The Knights face Mount Saint Vincent at 11:30 a.m. and Purchase College at 1:30 p.m.

NOTES:

NJCU leads all-time series, 29-0 (25 sweeps). 29th and final meeting. NYU-Poly is discontinuing athletics at the end of the academic year, merging with NYU. KENDALL TRIBBETT had his third career double-digit kill—all this season.