NEW YORK, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University women's volleyball team easily won the first two sets but had to hold off the City College of New York after the Beavers forced a fifth set in a 3-2 non-conference victory for NJCU—25-16, 25-11, 20-25, 18-25, 15-12—on October 27 at Nat Holman Gymnasium.
 
Both teams struggled on attack, committing a combined 58 errors, but the Gothic Knights defense was true to the test with three players reaching double figures in digs. NJCU improved to 14-13 on the year as it defeated CCNY (7-19) for the second time this season. NJCU held a 36-23 margin in kills.
 
Sophomore Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, N.J./Harrison) played libero in the match and again had a match-high with 21 digs, adding six kills. Sophomore Shaylah Ware (Newark, N.J./Science Park) made her fourth straight start in place of injured junior setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) and provided a double-double with 30 assists and 10 digs.
 
Sophomore outside Ayleen Pittar (Union City, N.J./Union City) produced 12 digs, five kills and two aces while senior middle hitter Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) had a match-high eight kills (.222). Freshman outside Stephanie Duque (West New York, N.J./Memorial) served four aces and had seven digs.
 
CCNY was limited to a -.024 attack percentage and Camila Franco-Diaz was the offensive leader with eight kills, adding six digs and four solo blocks. Veralucia Quispe (11 digs, 10 assists) and Irishvarsha Lyyadura (12 digs, six kills) also contributed.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first set, NJCU led 11-4 before CCNY rallied to cut the deficit to three (16-13). But the Knights earned the next six points, as Duque served three aces and had a kill, and NJCU won the set by nine.
 
NJCU trailed early in game two, 6-4, before scoring the next four points and 10 of the next 11 for a 14-7 lead before cruising to the 14-point win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
CCNY didn't quit. It jumped out to a 13-3 lead in game three and won the set by six. Five straight points early in game four allowed the Beavers to claim a 10-8 margin and still up two later in the set (16-14), CCNY scored the next three points and seven of the next eight to claim a 23-15 advantage. Six of the seven points came off NJCU errors.
 
NJCU would not let the match slip away, vaulting out to a 7-2 lead in game five. CCNY scored six of the next seven points and would tie it at 12-12. But a CCNY service error and an ace by O'Donnell gave NJCU match point and Franco-Diaz's attack was errant as the Knights prevailed, 15-12.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. CCNY: 34th meeting. NJCU leads the all-time series, 18-16, and has won the last five meetings, including a 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-22) outcome in Jersey City on October 1.
• NJCU's 14 wins are the most since the 2008 team went 14-11.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will conclude its 34th season of women's volleyball when it competes in a non-conference tri-match at Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y on Saturday, October 29. NJCU faces the host Valiants at 11 a.m. before taking on the College of Staten Island at 1 p.m. It will be the second meeting of in a week with CSI, having won 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-19) in Staten Island on October 22. NJCU is 11-6 all-time against the Dolphins. Manhattanville defeated NJCU last year in Jersey City (3-0, October 17, 2015) and has a 6-4 series lead.
 
A victory will guarantee NJCU's first winning record since 2008. A sweep will give NJCU its most wins since going 28-6 in 2007.