BROOKLYN, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | March came in like a lion for the New Jersey City University men's volleyball team which posted a .508 attack percentage as a team, led by sophomore middle hitter Sheldon Coure (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union) who was perfect in eight swings as NJCU swept a non-conference men's volleyball match from Medgar Evers College, 25-5, 25-17, 25-10 on March 2 at the Cougar Cage.

NJCU smashed 38 kills in 59 attempts with only eight errors and won for the third time in four matches to improve to 9-5 overall. Medgar Evers dropped to 0-13 on the season. NJCU served 15 aces in the triumph which lasted just 49 minutes. The Gothic Knights led wire-to-wire in all three sets. NJCU posted its highest team attack percentage in nine years.
 
In just two sets, Coure hit 1.000 with eight kills on eight swings with three blocks. Junior Raymel Castro (Newark, NJ/Barringer), typically a defensive specialist, got his first start of the season at setter and delivered. In three sets he dished 30 assists in 46 attempts for a .652 setting percentage, and landed five aces.
 NJCU junior opposite Kendall Tribbett (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) hit .600 in two sets, putting away eight kills on 10 attempts (two errors) while uncorking four aces. Junior outside hitter Nick Poh (Richmond, VA/Varina) hit .667 with six kills and no errors (nine attempts) in two sets, adding a pair of aces.
 
Also for the Gothic Knights, freshman middle Andre Ghant (Newark, NJ/North 13th Street Tech) landed three aces in two sets and freshman Jalen Bryan (East Orange, NJ/Bloomfield Tech) hit .600 (3-0-5) and had three blocks.
 
Jamal Chance was responsible for two-thirds of the Cougars' offense, collecting a match-high 12 kills (12-9-30, .100). Angel Seda had 11 assists.
 
NJCU hit .750 in the opening set with 13 kills in 16 swings. Leading 6-3, the Knights unleashed a 14-0 outburst behind the serving of Tribbett to seize a 14-0 advantage.
 
In the second set NJCU put away 11 kills at a .292 percentage and surged in front 9-2. A .579 attack rate in game three sealed it as NJCU posted 14 more kills in 19 swings (three errors). Leading 10-4, an 8-1 run gave the visitors an 18-5 lead and put the match away.

 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads, 7-0 (5 sweeps).
• The match was a makeup of a postponed contest scheduled for February 9 in Jersey City. It was the second meeting between the clubs played in Brooklyn, NY and the first since a 3-1 NJCU win on February 7, 2004.
• MEC dropped its 90th consecutive match dating to its last win on March 19, 2011.
• Coure's 1.000 percentage was not a school record because a player needs 10 attempts in a match to qualify.
• NJCU's .508 attack percentage was the highest since hitting .531 at NYU-Poly on March 10, 2006. NJCU hit 49-6-81 in the win. Since 2001, matches with a team hitting percentage of .500 or better:
  • .759 (47-3-58); NJCU vs. Yeshiva, February 6, 2005
  • .594 (48-7-69); NJCU at Purchase, March 13, 2005
  • .586 (49-11-90); NJCU at York (NY), March 22, 2003
  • .535 (44-6-71); NJCU vs. Baptist Bible, February 24, 2001
  • .531 (49-6-81); NJCU at NYU-Poly, March 10, 2006
  • .508 (38-8-58); NJCU at Medgar Evers, March 2, 2015
  • .500 (48-7-82); NJCU at NYU-Poly, February 20, 2007
  • .500 (43-10-66); NJCU at Purchase, March 2, 2002
• NJCU's previous season high for attack percentage was .345 against Brooklyn on January 31.
• NJCU held an opponent to five or fewer points for a school record third time in the first month of the season. The lowest scoring non-forfeited sets, rally scoring error (2001-10, 30-point system; 2011-present, 25-point system):
  • 25-3 (NJCU vs. Brooklyn, Jan. 31, 2015)
  • 25-4 (Yeshiva University at NJCU, Feb. 19, 2015)
  • 30-4 (Yeshiva University at NJCU, Feb. 1, 2001)
  • 25-5 (NJCU at Medgar Evers, March 2, 2015)
  • 30-5 (Yeshiva University vs. NJCU, Feb. 27, 2003)
  • 25-6 (Gallaudet University at NJCU, Feb. 23, 2013)
  • 30-6 (Baptist Bible College vs. NJCU, April 1, 2004)
• Normal starting outside hitters Daque Wilcox (Camden, NJ/Camden County Tech) and Bill Le (Jersey City, NJ/Snyder) did not travel. Starting setter Eric Maldonado (Jersey City, NJ/County Prep) and John Leon (Guatemala City, Guatemala/Colegio Interamericano de Guatemala) did not play.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU is back at home tomorrow night, March 3 at 7 p.m. in a non-conference match against CCNY (3-11, won 1). In match 15, NJCU is seeking to reach the 10-win plateau in the fewest number of contests since doing so in 14 matches (10-4) in 2009. NJCU also reached 10 wins in 16 matches in 2010. NJCU leads the all-time series with CCNY, 23-6. The Beavers won the last meeting on February 4, 2014 in New York City, 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-23), which snapped NJCU's 13-match winning streak in the series dating to CCNY's last win on March 15, 2003. Kendall Tribbett had 11 kills in the contest.