UNION, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |  Kean University hit .325 as a team with a 36-14 margin in kills and swept a New Jersey Athletic Conference women's volleyball match from New Jersey City University, 3-0 (25-8, 25-10, 25-14) on October 13 at Harwood Arena.
 
Kean evens its mark at 14-14 and is 3-2 in the league. NJCU (9-11, 0-5 NJAC) dropped its fourth straight following a three-match winning streak.
 
NJCU struggled on attack, hitting -.096 as a team with only 14 kills (22 attack errors, 83 attempts), while the Cougars posted a line of 36-11-77. The Cougars also served well, owning a 10-2 advantage in service aces.
 
Freshman outside Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) led NJCU with 10 digs and four kills. Sophomore setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) finished with 12 assists.
 
Kean didn't have a player reach double figures in kills but several were very efficient. Sophomore middle hitter Sara Ridgway (Barnegat, NJ) hit .636 with seven kills and no errors (11 attempts) while adding three blocks and two aces.
 
Sophomore outside Calli Scheuermann (Kenilworth, NJ) also had seven kills while hitting .417 (7-2-17) and 6-foot-0 freshman outside Brett Harper (Vero Beach, Fla.) had a match-best nine kills (9-4-20, .250). Three other players had at least three kills.
 
In a two-setter system, senior Nicollette Poveromo (Dumont, NJ) tallied 17 assists and sophomore Kendall Sonico (Los Angeles, Calif.) added 10 assists and two aces.
 
Kean had a perfect sideout percentage in game one—8-for-8—and 81 percent in game two (9-for-11). The hosts posted big hitting rates in both sets—.524 in the opening set with 12 kills in 21 swings (one error) and .500 in game two (10-2-16). Kean led 8-2 in game one, 17-5 midway through the game and scored the final five points to clinch it. Kean vaulted in front 11-3 in the second set then scored eight of the final nine points for a 2-0 lead in the match. The Cougars never trailed in the third set although it was the closest of the three periods. NJCU got as close as 11-9 in the middle of the set.
 
Of Note:

• Kean leads the all-time series, 33-7. The Cougars have won the last six meetings (2010-2015).
• Amber O'Donnell posted double figures in digs for the fifth time during her rookie campaign.
• Shege Haxhaj, with 521 kills, is two behind Cara Strzelczyk (523 kills, 2002) for 14th place on NJCU's all-time list.

 
What's Next?:
NJCU will face Rutgers University-Camden in NJAC action on Thursday, October 15 (7 p.m.) in Camden, NJ. NJCU leads all-time series, 15-6. Rutgers-Camden has won the last 6 meetings (2009-14), including last year's meeting in Jersey City (October 16, 2014), 3-1  (25-15,26-24,14-25,25-17).