UNION, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | No. 11 ranked and four-time defending Skyline Conference champion Kean University stuffed 10.0 blocks to thwart the New Jersey City University men's volleyball team as the Cougars swept NJCU, 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-21) in Skyline action on March 23 at Harwood Arena.
 
Kean (24-6, 12-0 Skyline) won for the 19th time in its last 20 matches and hit .288 overall. NJCU fell back to .500 (16-16, 7-6 Skyline).
 
Kean had 35 kills as four players combined for 29 of the 35 winners, led by senior middle hitter Tommy Rosario (Belleville, NJ/Belleville) with seven kills (.235, 7-3-17) and five blocks while sophomore opposite Bill Fischer (Berlin, NJ/Eastern Regional) added eight kills (.250, 8-3-20), six digs and four blocks.
 
In defeat for NJCU, senior middle hitter Ivan Prensa (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) hit .312 with eight kills (8-3-16) and three blocks and sophomore middle hitter Jalen Sorrell (Edison, NJ/John P. Stevens) posted a .333 attack percentage with six kills (6-2-12). Skyline Rookie of the Week and freshman setter Erick Nascimento (Miami, FL/Alonzo Tracy Mourning) finished with 28 assists and five digs.
 
Also for NJCU in the loss senior outside hitters Daque Wilcox (Fredericksburg, VA/Camden County Tech, NJ) and Sheldon Coure (Redondo Beach, CA/Redondo Union) collected six kills apiece.
 
Kean was aided by sophomore outside Jacob Kauffman (York, PA) with eight kills (.250, 8-4-16), five digs and two aces. Sophomore outside Connor Evans (Akron, OH) finished with a .625 attack rate with six kills in eight swings (one error) and three blocks. Jared Warner added four blocks. Sophomore setters Steve Schrank (Lindenhurst, NY) and Kevin Barrow (Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) had 16 and 13 assists, respectively.
 
The Cougars hit .529 in a convincing game one outcome when it had 10 kills (one error) in 17 swings and a 92 percent sideout rate (12-13). Leading by one (5-4), Kean scored the next six points to claim an 11-4 lead and pushed the margin to 17-6 at the end of a 12-2 spurt.
 
Kean had 16 kills in game two in a set with five ties and three lead changes. NJCU led 16-15 midway through the game after a block by Sorrell and Coure. But Kean scored six of the next seven points for a 21-17 margin and NJCU couldn't counter.
 
In the third set, NJCU and Kean traded seven ties and two lead changes and the Knights owns a 12-9 edge in kills. Kean broke away from a two-point match (18-16), scoring five of the next six points for a 23-17 advantage that decided the set.
 
#KnightNotes

• Series: Kean leads, 13-0.
• Kean ranked No. 11 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 15 poll.

 
#NextKnightTime:
NJCU is off until Wednesday, March 30 (7 p.m.) when it heads to Purchase, NY for a Skyline match against Purchase College. NJCU leads the all-time series, 14-0 (10 sweeps) and won the first meeting of the season on February 28 in Jersey City, 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-19).