NEW YORK, NY. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |  The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team never trailed in any set and led by 11 kills from senior outside Daque Wilcox (Fredericksburg, VA/Camden County Tech, NJ), swept The City College of New York, 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-21) in non-conference action on February 11 at the Nat Holman Gymnasium.
 
NJCU improved to 5-2 on the season, continuing its dominance over CCNY (1-6) in recent years as the Knights defeated the Beavers for the 15th time in the last 16 meetings.
 
Wilcox reached double figures in kills for the 12th time in his career and second time this season, finishing with a match-high 11 winners and a .318 attack rate (11-4-22) with seven digs and two aces. Senior outside hitter Sheldon Coure (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union) hit .400 with eight kills (8-2-15), seven digs and three aces.  Sophomore middle hitter Jalen Sorrell (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) added six kills at a .444 clip (6-2-9) and two blocks.
 
Also for the Gothic Knights, senior right side/setter Kendall Tribbett (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) defended eight digs while adding four kills (.375, 4-1-8) and four assists. Freshman setter Erick Nascimento (Miami, FL/Alonzo Tracy Mourning) distributed 18 assists, seven digs and two aces.
 
While NJCU hit .246 (30-13-69), CCNY was limited to a .012 attack percentage (21-20-84). Sebastjano Aga led the Beavers with nine kills (9-8-34, .029) and two aces. Edmund He finished with six kills (6-3-17, .176) and two aces.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
NJCU hit .333 in game one (12-3-27) and initially led 9-4 and 11-7 after back-to-back kills by Wilcox. The Beavers kept it close at 13-12. When NJCU moved back on top 19-14, CCNY scored four straight points, including back-to-back aces by He to draw within one (19-18). But kills by Wilcox and Coure pushed the lead to 23-19 and they each planted another winner to seal a 25-21 win.
 
In set two, NJCU jumped out to an 11-5 lead when Sorrell put away a kill, Wilcox buried two more and Coure aced CCNY. The Beavers got no closer than 16-13 before committing four straight errors (20-13) and an ace and kill by Tribbett made it 24-15 before the Knights won by nine.
 
In game three it was even at 11-11, before two aces by Wilcox and kills by Tribbett and Coure gave the Knights four consecutive points for a 15-11 lead. CCNY got back in contention after three straight NJCU attack errors and tied it at 21-21 after consecutive kills by Aga and Tommy Holzmacher. But NJCU regained the lead on a kill by Wilcox and forced CCNY into three straight attack errors to end the match, 25-21.

 

QUOTABLE KNIGHTS
 
Head Coach Robert Cole, 3rd season, on the win:
"We're not where we want to be by any stretch of the imagination. But we've got guys who are working hard and want to get better. That's a winning formula."
 
#KnightNotes

• 31st meeting. NJCU leads the all-time series, 25-6, and has won 15 of the last 16 meetings.

 
#NextKnightTime:
NJCU will face the unprecedented challenge of squaring off with two nationally ranked opponents in back-to-back matches on Saturday, February 13 in a non-conference tri-match. First, the Knights face nationally No. 14 ranked Hunter College (7-2) in New York at 11 a.m. before tangling with the No. 1 ranked team in the AVCA Division III Top 15 Poll—Springfield College (11-1) at 1p.m.
 
NJCU last played Hunter on March 23, 2014 in Jersey City; the Hawks won, 3-1 (23-25, 25-21, 27-25, 25-18). It will be the 29th meeting between the schools; Hunter leads the all-time series, 16-12.
 
NJCU and Springfield will meet for the first time ever. The Pride have won nine national championships—the first three NCAA Division III titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and six Molten Division III crowns (1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010) prior to the official NCAA Tournament.