ALBANY, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University's men's volleyball team opened its 2015 Skyline Conference schedule on February 14 with a pair of convincing wins and a historical milestone. The Gothic Knights won the 400th match in program history, knocking off host The Sage Colleges, 3-1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21) before adding a sweep of the College of Mount Saint Vincent, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-23).
 
NJCU (5-3, 2-0 Skyline) captured its 400th win in the 744th match in school history in season No. 26 the sport has been sponsored. Sage dropped to 2-6 (0-1 Skyline) with the opening loss. Mount Saint Vincent was 3-2 (0-1 Skyline) after losing to NJCU; the Dolphins swept Sage, 3-0, to cap the tri-match.
 
Both early season wins are important for the Gothic Knights against teams that will challenge for a berth in the league tournament. Mount Saint Vincent was picked one point ahead of NJCU in the preseason league poll with the Dolphins projected to place third while Sage was narrowly behind the Knights in fifth place in the poll.
 
MATCH 1: New Jersey City 3, The Sage Colleges 1 (27-15, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21)
Skyline Rookie of the Week and setter John Leon (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Colegio Interamericano de Guatemala) had a stellar all-around effort to pace the Gothic Knights.
 

Leon dished 41 assists, hit .667 with six kills (no errors) in nine swings and defended seven digs to spark the visitors.
 
Two Gothic Knights reached double figures in kills and another just missed. Junior outside hitter Daque Wilcox (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) landed 11 kills and hit .240 (11-5-25) with five digs and two blocks while junior opposite Kendall Tribbett (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) uncorked 10 kills (.22, 10-4-27) and rejected three blocks.
 Freshman middle hitter Jalen Sorrell (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) had a great all-around effort, accounting for nine kills (9-4-20, .250) while stuffing six blocks, including two of the solo variety. Junior libero Nick Poh (Richmond, VA/Varina) kept alive 12 digs and added six kills (6-3-13, .231). Freshman setter Eric Maldonado (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) contributed nine assists.
 
Bailey Cecchi was the Gators' top offensive performer with 11 kills and Tyler Bastos finished with 20 assists, eight digs and seven kills. Ryan Guyton provided eight digs, seven kills (7-3-19, .211) and four blocks (two solo).
 
NJCU had a 59-34 margin in kills in the match but all four sets were tight, including the opening game which featured 11 ties and eight lead changes and a huge 24-20 cushion for the Gators. But the hosts could not capitalize on the four set points. Kills by Poh and Wilcox and a pair of Sage attack error evened it. After a winner by Cecchi gave Sage a one-point lead, senior Angel Martinez (Pleasantville, NJ/Pleasantville) tied it with a kill, a bad set put NJCU in front, 26-25, and Sorrell served an ace.
 
In game two, the clubs traded eight ties and three lead changes and Sage, leading, 23-20 and 24-22, nearly blew another set as NJCU closed within one, 24-23. A kill by Cecchi prevented another Gothic Knight rally.
 
The third set had five ties and four lead changes and once again NJCU waved the rally towels. Sage led by as many as four points on three occasions, including 20-16 before NJCU stormed back with a 6-0 run to claim a 22-20 edge. Tribbett, Sorrell and senior outside Bill Le (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) each had kills during the run. Sage scored the next three points to reclaim a one-point margin (23-22). But a combo block by Tribbett and Sorrell, a kill by Tribbett and an attack error on Bastos clinched a 25-23 win for NJCU.
 
The final set was not without drama early on as 10 ties and four lead changes ensued. But with NJCU up one (14-13) midway through the game, the Knights used four consecutive kills by sophomore middle hitter Sheldon Coure (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union), Wilcox, Lee and Leon to gain an 18-13 advantage and two more kills by Le and Leon pushed the lead to five (25-20). After Sage rallied within one point, two kills by Tribbett and back-to-back slams by Coure sealed the 25-21 decision.
 
MATCH 2: New Jersey City 3, Mount Saint Vincent (25-22, 25-23, 25-23)
After capturing its historical 400th win, NJCU took on an opponent it has been facing since the inaugural year of the program in 1990. The Knights had an easier time taking home victory in its second match of the day, although all three games were narrowly decided.
 

But despite Mount having a slight 28-27 edge in kills, NJCU used 10.0 team blocks and 35 digs to limit the Dolphins to a negative attack percentage of -.028 (28-31-106).
 
Coure, who came alive at the end of the Sage match, remained red hot in match two. The First-Team All-Skyline player as a rookie last year smashed balls at a sensational .727, landing eight kills without an error in 11 attempts while adding a pair of blocks.
 
Sorrell posted another strong performance at the net, stuffing eight blocks (two solo) and hitting .357 with six winners (6-1-14). Maldonado dished 12 assists and Leon had a near double-double with 11 digs, nine assists and two blocks.
 
Also contributing to the sweep was Poh with 12 more digs. Wilcox and Tribbett each added a pair of blocks.
 
Marc Barreda led Mount with nine kills (9-6-26, .115) and six digs while Logan Dickover had 16 assists.
 
In the opening set, NJCU gained an early lead and despite never holding an advantage of more than five (14-9), was able to withstand a challenge in a set it led wire to wire. When CMSV pulled within one, 23-22, on a kill by Tyler Cucullu, a double block by Leon and Coure and a Leon kill iced it, 25-22.
 
Tied 17-17 in game two, NJCU was able to open up three-point leads at 22-19 and again at 24-21 after a kill and solo block by Coure. The Dolphins wouldn't go away, staying in contention on a kill by Barreda and a double block by Kevin Magee and Dickover before Coure ended the threat with a kill.
 
Four ties in the final set, including 20-20, preceded four straight points for NJCU that saw the Knights gain a 24-20 margin after a tandem block by Tribbett and Sorrell and an ace by Lee sandwiched around two CMSV errors. Another brief rally by the Dolphins drew Mount within one, 24-23, before Sorrell capped the 25-23 outcome with a final kill.
 
QUOTES:
NJCU head coach Robert Cole (second season)
 
On the two victories: "We started off slow on the day but we had some guys step up when we needed them. John [Leon] worked his tail off, Kendall [Tribbett] was more active and Daque [Wilcox] was able to find his swing a bit. I can't say enough about Jalen Sorrell and Nick [Poh]. Jalen controlled the net and Nick was putting himself in a great position at libero. We made some adjustments with our blocking and I think they made a huge difference."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. Sage: Even, 4-4
• Series vs. Mount Saint Vincent: 48th meeting. NJCU leads, 28-20.
• NJCU is 401-344 in 745 all-time matches for a .538 winning percentage.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU begins a four-match homestand on Thursday, February 19 at 7 p.m. when it meets Yeshiva University in Skyline action at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. It will be the 28th meeting in a series NJCU leads 27-0—all via sweeps.