Box Score 1 | Box Score 3 JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |  New Jersey City University won the first two sets by forfeit, then finished off Maritime College in the third game, 25-21, in a 3-0 (25-0, 25-0, 25-21) victory in the opening match of a non-conference tri-match hosted by NJCU at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court) on October 17. Manhattanville College defeated the Gothic Knights in the final match, 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-19).
 
With the split, NJCU improves to 10-13 overall and reached double figures in victories for the first time since going 14-11 in 2008. Manhattanville, members of the MAC Freedom Conference, went 2-0 on the day to improve to 14-8 overall. The Valiants defeated Maritime (12-11), 3-0 (25-11, 25-10, 25-15) in a neutral court middle match.

Match 1: NJCU 3, Maritime 0 (25-0, 25-0, 25-21)
After Maritime College forfeited the first two sets, 25-0, after arriving an hour late for the match, the Gothic Knights needed to win just one more for their 10th win. The Knights did just that, putting away 13 kills in a game that saw seven ties and two lead changes, countering 11 kills and a .212 attack for the Privateers (11-4-33).
 
Freshman outside Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) hit .429 in the lone game with four kills (4-1-7) and four other players had two kills.
 
Charlotte Acklin hit .500 with four kills (4-0-8) and five digs for Maritime while Shannon Brady hit .571 with four kills (4-0-7).
 

In the lone set decided on the court, Maritime trailed 5-3 before rebounding to take an 11-6 lead behind the serving of Acklin aided by back-to-back kills by Brady. Another kill by Brady pushed the lead to 14-8. Two kills by freshman Naiomi Cintron (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and one by junior middle hitter Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, NJ/Lyndhurst) made it 15-13 before O'Donnell put away a winner and a bad set by the Privateers saw the Knights tie it (15-15). Three straight points by Maritime gave the visitors back the lead including a kill by Acklin and a solo block by Meghan Burke made it a 19-16 deficit for NJCU.
 
But NJCU fought back again. Kills by O'Donnell and junior Elyssa Magee (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), followed by a combo block by Magee and sophomore setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) tied it (19-19) before an ace by senior Valerie Ballestas (North Bergen, NJ/Weehawken) gave the Knights the lead. The Privateers tied it before another kill by O'Donnell and an attack error by Maritime pushed the lead to 22-20. The guests drew within one before a kill from rookie outside/opposite Ayleen Pittar (Union City, NJ/Union City) and two MC attack errors sealed the 25-21 win.
 
Match 2:  Manhattanville 3, Maritime 0 (25-11, 25-10, 25-15) | Box Score
Maritime led just once in the three-set affair and were limited to a -.064 attack with 11 kills. The Valiants buried 41 kills and hit .344 (41-10-90). Meagan Dattoma hit .455 with 10 kills (10-0-22) and Megan Quinabo dished 28 assists. Alissa Primavera provided 16 digs, nine kills at a .304 rate (9-2-23) and four aces. Kerry Mackey hit .357 with seven winners (7-2-14). Andrea Baez-Berrios uncorked six aces with five assists and Adrianna Alves passed 11 digs.
 
Match 3:  Manhattanville 3, NJCU 0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-19)
The Valiants hit .246 as a team and had a 43-23 margin in kills in the three-set win. Alissa Primavera was the difference for M-Ville, putting away a match-high 16 kills (.275, 16-5-40) and nine digs. Megan Quinabo finished with a double-double of 36 assists and 11 digs.
 
In defeat, Pittar had a solid effort for NJCU, posting her first double-digit digs effort with 13 while landing eight kills at a .269 pace (8-1-26). McIntyre delivered her 12th career double-double (third of season) with 18 assists, 10 digs and four aces. She became just the sixth player in school history to reach the 100-ace plateau in only two years.
 
Freshman outside hitter Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) defended a career-high 20 digs. Cintron finished with five kills and three blocks.
 
Also for M-Ville, Meagan Dattoma and Asia Reid each had eight kills and Kerry Mackey hit .316 with six kills (6-0-19). Samantha Miano (10 digs) and Adrianna Alves (9 digs) also helped defensively.
 
The Valiants held a 16-6 differential in kills in the opening game. Tied 13-13, the Valiants reeled off eight consecutive points behind the serving of Quinabo, with seven kills during the tear including five by Primavera and two from Reid. The Valiants led wire-to-wire in game two hitting .300 (12-3-30).
 
The third set saw eight ties and four lead changes—the last after 14-14. Up two after a kill from Mackey, the visitors pushed the margin to 21-16 after consecutive aces from Dattoma and two straight Primavera kills.
 
Of Note:

• NJCU leads the all-time series with Maritime, 3-0 (all sweeps)
• Manhattanville leads the all-time series, 6-4.
• Georgina Rayo notched 10+ digs in a match for the fifth time.
• Rachel McIntyre became the 23rd player in program history with 100 career aces.

 
What's Next?:
NJCU will host seven-time reigning New Jersey Athletic Conference champion Stockton University (23-2, 6-0 NJAC) on Tuesday, October 20 at 7 p.m. Stockton won last year's meeting in Galloway, NJ, 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-15). The Ospreys lead the all-time series, 43-5. Stockton has won 58 of their last 59 conference matches.