New Jersey City University Athletics

Box Score UNION, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | For the second consecutive season, Kean University ousted New Jersey City University from the Skyline Conference Tournament. The Cougars hit .430 as a team and rejected 16.5 blocks in defeating NJCU, 3-1 (25-13, 19-25, 25-12, 25-11) in the Skyline Semifinals on April 12 at Harwood Arena.
 
Kean (25-7), the No. 1 seed in the field and ranked No. 12 in Division III in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 15 Coaches' Poll, had 15 players see action in the match and would go on to pick up a  26^th win later in the day, defeating Ramapo College, also 3-1, to claim its third consecutive Skyline Conference championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
 
NJCU, the No. 4 seed, was making its third straight appearance in the conference tournament since joining the Skyline with Kean and Ramapo as associate members in men's volleyball only in 2012. The Gothic Knights had their 25^th season of intercollegiate action end with a 12-18 ledger against tough competition—including a pair of Division I opponents and five nationally ranked Division III foes.
 NJCU, which was short-handed due to an injury to starting middle hitter DAQUE WILCOX (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) in practice on Friday, still managed to take a set from the Cougars for the first time since a 3-2 loss on January 28, 2012. Kean had won the last six meetings, 3-0.
 
The 16.5 blocks were an opponent season high and the most by an opponent since Kean had 17.0 blocks in the five-setter in January, 2012.
 
In defeat, reigning Skyline Conference co-Player of the Week BILL LE (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) collected 10 kills (10-6-24, .167), reaching double figures in kills for the fifth time in his last seven matches with six digs. Three-time Skyline Rookie of the Week and freshman middle hitter SHELDON COURE (Torrance, CA/Redondo Union (CA)) pounded out 10 kills at a .273 clip (10-4-22).
 
Senior setter and captain GARY PRESTON, JR. (North East MD/Rising Sun (MD)) delivered 32 assists in his final match as a Gothic Knight. He finished his three-year Gothic Knight career, including just one as a full-time setter, with 1,946 assists and 371 digs.
 
Krzysztof Kucza led the Cougars with 12 kills and a .455 attack percentage (12-2-22) while Ed Jedziniak hit .471 with nine winners (9-1-17) and stuffed six blocks in three sets. Kyle Farley added six kills and a .556 percentage (6-1-9) with four blocks in three sets while Tommy Rosario hit .833 with five kills in six swings, adding four blocks.
 
Mike Scheuermann had four blocks and two aces in two sets. Josh Haimann and Ron Dunn split time at setter, each playing two sets and finishing with 21 and 16 assists, respectively.
 
Kean dominated the three sets it won, never trailing in the first, third and fourth games. Kean hit .857 in game one with 12 kills and no errors on 14 swings. It had 14 kills in game two and only nine in set three when it hit .444 (9-1-18). A .500 rate in the fourth set clinched the match, as the Cougars planted 10 kills (10-1-18).
 
NJCU hit .303 with 14 kills when it won the second set (14-4-33). NJCU began pulling away midway through the set, taking advantage of back-to-back attack errors from former Gothic Knight and two-time All-Skyline pick BESMIR ARSLANI, to gain a 20-16 margin before cruising to a 25-19 lead.
 
In game one, Kean used a 5-0 spurt to claim a 16-7 lead, eventually pushing the cushion to 18-9 before winning, 25-13. Game three was similar, with a 10-6 lead swelling to a 21-8 differential after an 11-2 run highlighted by three blocks. In the fourth set, Kean pulled away after it held the same 10-6 lead, scoring the next seven points before finishing the match with seven of the final eight points in a 25-11 outcome.