BROOKLYN, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Top-seeded New York University had a 41-16 margin in kills, served 11 aces, and used a fast-paced offense to eliminate the New Jersey City University women's volleyball team from the 2016 Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament, defeating the Gothic Knights 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-15) in an ECAC First Round match on November 9 at the Brooklyn Athletic Center.
 
The Violets (17-16) move on to face third-seeded FDU-Florham, 3-0 upset winners over second-seeded Arcadia, in Saturday's ECAC Quarterfinal round.
 
NJCU's 34th season of intercollegiate women's volleyball, which was extended an extra match with the program's first postseason appearance since 2007, ends at 15-15 overall.
 
In the first-ever ECAC Tournament to be a full field of 16, rather than separate regional tournaments, NYU hit .312 as a team with 41 kills in 93 swings (12 errors).
 
The Violets never trailed in the first two sets and posted 12, 15 and 14 kills in each of the three games while serving at a 69 percent sideout rate (27-39).
 
Rayne Ellis, an All-University Athletic Association selection, led two players in double figures in kills, hitting .625 with 10 kills in 16 swings (no errors). Setter Kathryn Goyette gave out 34 assists with six digs and Paighton Miller unleashed six service aces.
 
Also for NYU, Gretchen Cash putaway 10 kills, hitting .217 (10-5-23) while Annie Singh posted a .500 attack with nine kills (9-1-16). Defensively, Zel Fortson and Grace Napolitano provided 12 and 11 digs, respectively.
 
In her final career match, senior co-captain and middle hitter Shege Haxhaj (Lyndhurst, N.J./Lyndhurst) led NJCU with seven kills at a .235 percentage (7-3-17). Her four-year career officially ends with 982.0 points, 758 kills, 178 blocks and 108 aces.
 
Also for the Knights, sophomore outside Ayleen Pittar (Union City, N.J./Union City) had six digs and four kills. Junior setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, Pa./Upper Darby) totaled 10 assists and five digs.
 
Up 4-3 in game one, the Violets scored six straight points behind the serving of Fortson. NJCU closed within 15-11 before NYU reeled off a 9-0 run behind Miller, who served four aces in that span.
 
NYU led wire-to-wire in game two. With NJCU still threatening, 6-5, the hosts uncorked the next seven points and Goyette had a pair of aces, to push the margin to 13-5 before NYU cruised to the 2-0 match lead.
 
The third set was the most competitive with NJCU up early, 5-2, and reclaimed a three-point lead at 9-6. But from there NYU was too much, scoring the next three to tie it (9-9) before expanding the lead with an overall 8-1 outburst, to grab a 14-10 lead. NYU scored the final five points of the match.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. NYU: Violets lead all-time series, 10-0 (nine sweeps).
• First meeting vs. NYU since November 7, 2007 in ECAC Quarterfinals.
• NJCU is 3-3 all-time in the ECAC Tournament and 3-4 in all post-season play.