JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team wrapped up its 2016 regular season in dominant fashion as the Gothic Knights swept a non-conference match from Pratt Institute, 3-0 (25-6, 25-15, 25-22) on April 7 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
After a heartbreaking loss the previous night in the Skyline Conference Quarterfinals, NJCU concluded its regular season and 27th season of men's volleyball with a 19-18 ledger. Pratt fell to 9-4.
 
Prior to the match, which lasted just 57 minutes, NJCU honored its five-man senior class—outside hitter/libero Raymel Castro (Newark, N.J./Barringer), outside hitter Sheldon Coure (Redondo Beach, Calif./Redondo Union), middle hitter Ivan Prensa (Jersey City, N.J./Dickinson), right side/setter Kendall Tribbett (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) and outside hitter Daque Wilcox (Fredericksburg, Va./Camden County Tech, NJ).
 
NJCU attack at a sizzling .509 as a team with 33 kills and only six errors in 53 swings while unleashing 13 service aces. The .509 attack percentage was 1/100th of a point off the season high. NJCU trailed just once the entire match.
 
Coure crushed 10 kills and hit .750 with only one attack error (10-1-12) while Wilcox notched a .462 attack percentage with seven kills (7-1-13), five service aces and three blocks. Prensa, this week's Skyline Conference Player of the Week, added seven kills and hit .385 (7-2-13) with four aces and three blocks.
 
Tribbett did much of the setting in the final two games. He finished with 16 assists, five kills in six swings (.667) and five digs while Castro added eight assists, five digs and two aces.
 
Pratt got a match-high 17 kills from David Cutler who accounted for 17 of the Cannoneers 24 total kills. He hit .211 (17-9-38). Setter Brandon Ryan had 19 assists.
 
How It Happened:
NJCU limited Pratt to two kills in game one and seven errors and forced the guests into a -.385 attack and a mere 12 percent (3-24) sideout rate. Meanwhile, NJCU took the emotion from the preceding Senior Night ceremony and dominated, scoring the first nine points. Later, Wilcox served three straight aces for a 13-3 lead and it was 15-3 when Coure crushed a kill at the end of six consecutive points. Prensa had two tough serves (one ace) to open a stretch of seven straight points and Coure smashed another kill for a 19-5 edge. Back-to-back aces by Prensa made it 22-5. In all, NJCU scored 10 of the final 11 points in the game and an ace by Tribbett capped it.
 
NJCU hit .643 in game two with 10 kills (10-1-14) and an 86 percent sideout rate (13-15). Pratt kept it close early before kills by Wilcox and Prensa allowed NJCU to gain some separation at 12-8. The lead grew to 18-11 when Wilcox destroyed a free ball and 22-14 on back-to-back stuffs by Prensa and Wilcox. A Wilcox ace and attack error by Cutler ended the game.
 
In the third game, Pratt hit .333 (12-3-27) but NJCU countered with a colossal .542 percentage behind 16 kills (16-3-24). Early in the set, back-to-back aces by Castro gave NJCU a 9-4 lead before Wilcox slammed a back row attack. With several Gothic Knights out of position in the final game of the regular season, Pratt managed to hang around. Cutler had three kills to get Pratt closer (14-11). Down 17-12, Pratt scored four straight, including three in a row on bad Knight sets (17-16). Coure and Prensa crushed kills for a 21-19 margin but Cutler responded with two kills in a row to square the set at 21-all. Prensa put away another kill before Cutler tied it at 22-22. But NJCU would seal it. Coure destroyed another attack, sophomore middle hitter Jalen Sorrell (Edison, N.J./John P. Stevens) slammed another kill in a light night for him, and on match point, Prensa ripped off an ace.
 
#KnightNotes

• Series vs. Pratt: First Meeting
• NJCU's only match with a higher hitting percentage was January 31 vs. Yeshiva (.510).
• Sheldon Coure reached double figures in kills for the 29th time in three years and 12th time in 2016. He upped his three-year career marks to 790 career kills and 991.5 career points, 252 digs, 185 blocks and 90 service aces in 99 matches and 322 sets.
• Daque Wilcox upped his career totals to 793 career kills, 1045.5 points, 404 digs, 205 total blocks and 126 aces in 128 matches (410 sets).
• Kendall Tribbett upped his career totals to 527 kills, 741.5 points, 187 total blocks, 325 digs and 75 service aces in 123 matches over 391 sets.

 
#NextKnightTime:
NJCU will await word of a potential Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament bid later this month. Otherwise, its 2016 season will conclude one game over .500.