New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 JAMAICA, QUEENS, NY (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University battled back to force a fifth set in the opening contest only to lose to Lasell College, but bounced back nicely in the nightcap with a 3-1 win over Marymount University as the Gothic Knight men's volleyball team split two matches on the opening day of the 10^th annual York College Men's Volleyball Classic. NJCU dropped a 25-20, 18-25, 27-29, 25-22, 10-15 decision to Lasell. The Knights were tested against strong first-year program Marymount before prevailing 26-24, 25-23, 19-25, 25-22.
 
NJCU is now 7-10 overall after the split. Senior setter and captain GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) delivered 86 assists in the nine sets while freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)), the reigning Division III National Player of the Week and two-time Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week, compiled 26 kills in the two matches. He reached double figures in kills for the fourth and fifth straight match and seventh time overall.
 
"Unfortunately we didn't give a complete effort today," said first-year head coach Robert Cole. "Hats off to Lasell for capitalizing and taking advantage of some of our mistakes. I thought we did some good things but we didn't do enough to win. We came out flat against Marymount but some timely hits and Gary Preston's senior leadership was the difference in that match."
  All three matches ever played between NJCU and Lasell (12-4) have gone to five sets and like previous meetings in March 2011 and March 2013, the Knights and Lasers pointed to drama.
 
Seven different players reached double figures in kills—four for Lasell and three by NJCU—with both teams hitting at good offensive levels.
 
Preston had 45 assists and six digs with sophomore middle hitter DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech)  leading the way with a career-high 15 kills (15-9-35, .171), three blocks and two aces. Sophomore outside ANGEL MARTINEZ (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) had the best match of his career, uncorking a .429 percentage with a personal-best 12 kills (12-3-21) and six digs while Coure chalked up 12 kills, a .292 percentage (12-5-24), six digs and two blocks.
 
Also for NJCU sophomore opposite KENDALL TRIBBETT (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) and junior outside hitter BILL LE (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) each posted eight kills. Le hit .208 (8-3-24) with eight digs and two blocks while Tribbett had a .154 clip (8-4-26) with five digs and four blocks.
 
Dan Raffol had a match-high 18 kills for Lasell, hit .368 (18-4-38) with nine digs and four blocks while Julius Rosario landed 12 kills, hit .588 (12-2-17) and rejected eight blocks from the middle. Andrew Glenn dished 53 assists and nine digs.
 
Jeff Vautrin also finished with 12 kills (12-7-27, .185) and four blocks while Ryan Jackson chipped 11 kills (11-7-28, .143), nine digs and three blocks. Drew Caruso finished with nine kills (9-5-19, .211) and four blocks.
 
NJCU never trailed in the first set when it hit .409 as a team (10-1-22) and jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Lasell was able to tie it at 16-16 and 18-18 before NJCU reeled off three straight points off Laser errors and won the set on a trio of kills by Preston, Martinez and Coure and a Preston ace.
 
Lasell hit .440 in the second set but needed to rally from early Gothic Knight leads of 11-5 and 12-8. NJCU still led, 17-15, before Lasell uncorked an 8-0 run behind the serving of Vautrin who landed a pair of aces, and Lasell tied the match, 25-18.
 
In the third set the two clubs combined for 27 kills (14-13 LC), but at much lower hitting percentages (.075, LC; .121 NJCU) as the clubs traded 12 ties and seven lead changes. NJCU had its chances in the set, jumping out to a 9-2 lead, only to see the Lasers use a 10-2 run to storm back and claim a 12-11 advantage. More ties ensued at 13, 14, 15, 18 and 20-20 and again at 22-22. The teams went well into extra points before a kill by Jackson gave Lasell a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
In the fourth set, 14 ties and six lead changes ensued. Lasell hit .355 with 17 kills (17-6-31) but NJCU was incredibly accurate, smashing 15 kills versus one error (29 attempts) for a .483 percentage. Trailing 18-17, NJCU ran off four straight points including three kills by Coure to move ahead, 21-18, and forced a fifth set on a Wilcox winner.
 
In the fifth set, six ties ensued. Lasell led 5-2 before NJCU tied it at 5-5 and the clubs were again even at 8-8. But an error by Martinez and two combo blocks by Rosario on Coure pushed the Lasers' lead to 11-8. A pair of kills by Martinez cut the deficit to 12-10 before Lasell scored the final three points, with a double block by Rosario and Vautrin on match point sealing it. In its first meeting with Marymount (4-9), NJCU survived a magnificent performance  by 6-foot-4 freshman outside Bryce Ernsberger (Virginia Beach, VA) who hammered 28 kills (28-12-60, .267), 11 digs and three blocks. They were the most kills by an opponent in a four-set match since 2006.
 
Coure led NJCU with 14 kills, a .344 attack clip (14-3-32), five digs and four blocks while Preston delivered 31 assists, eight digs and hit .444 with four kills (4-0-9). Wilcox added eight kills and two blocks. Sophomore libero JON DIAZ (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had 10 digs.
 
Marymount, behind Ernsberger, had six more kills than NJCU but committed nine more attack errors (31-22). Tomasz Ksiazkiewicz finished with 10 kills and four blocks and setter Bronson Summers-Torres tallied 40 assists and two blocks. Ky Morrison and Matt Malloy added 13 and 10 digs, respectively.
 
In the opening set the Saints had a 12-9 edge in kills but committed 11 attack errors while NJCU was much more accurate with just three hitting miscues. NJCU gained leads of 5-0, 9-4 and 12-6 before the Saints roared back to tie it at 14-14. NJCU scored the next three points and later led 20-17 before MU tied it at 21-21 on an ace by Morrison and gained a one-point edge on a kill by Ernsberger. Another Ernsberger made it 23-22. But two MU attack errors and a setting error allowed NJCU to escape with a 26-24 win.
 
NJCU had a 16-10 margin in kills in set two and jumped out to an 8-2 lead which expanded to 14-7 before MU again fought back, cutting it to 15-14 after a 7-1 run. However, NJCU wouldn't give up the lead, despite the upstart Saints drawing within 17-16, 22-21 and 23-22 and the Knights scored their final two points on balls floored by Coure.
 
Marymount took set three with a .267 hitting percentage and a 14-7 differential in kills while NJCU was limited to a -.032 attack rate. Tied at 14-14, MU scored nine of the next 11 points to claim a 23-16 advantage and forced a fourth set, 25-19. Ernsberger had 11 kills in the set.
 
Game four featured 10 ties and three lead changes and Ernsberger had seven more kills. NJCU had a 16-13 lead midway through the period and led 20-18 before MU scored the next four points to claim a 22-20 margin after back-to-back blocks. But the Saints would not score again. A MU service error and Martinez kill tied it at 22 and an ace by Preston gave NJCU a 23-22 edge. Coure and Tribbett combined for a block and on match point Coure put away another attack as NJCU prevailed, 25-22.
 
On day two of the tournament NJCU faces Lancaster Bible College (2-15, lost 8), and Eastern Mennonite University (8-9). EMU leads the tournament with a 2-0 record on day one.