JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University women's volleyball team moved back to .500 on the year with a 3-0 sweep of the City College of New York, 25-15, 25-22, 25-22 on October 2 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
A balanced effort by the Gothic Knights (8-8) provided a 34-16 differential in kills and 37 NJCU digs helped limit CCNY (3-12) to a .014 attack percentage (16-15-71).
 
Junior outside hitter Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) reached double figures in digs for the third consecutive match and the seventh time this year, dishing 13 digs, with six kills and three aces. Junior middle blocker Nadia Montgomery (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) hit .500 with six kills (6-2-8). Sophomore libero Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) added eight digs.
 
Additionally, senior setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) delivered 16 assists while junior setter Shaylah Ware (Newark, NJ/Science Park) added 13 assists and two aces in a two-setter rotation. Junior outside Ayleen Pittar (Union City, NJ/Union City) (six kills), sophomore opposite Pamela Florimon (Teaneck, NJ/Memorial) (six kills) and junior opposite Naiomi Cintron (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) (five kills, .273 attack) also contributed to the win.
 
Freshman setter Dzeneta Harambasic (Ridgewood, N.Y.) tallied 13 assists and seven digs and junior outside Camilla Franco-Diaz (New York, N.Y.) finished with six digs, five kills and four aces in a losing effort for the Beavers.
 
NJCU reached double figures in kills in all three sets, with 11, 11 and 12, respectively, while siding out at a 62 percent rate in the win.
 
A five-point run in the middle of game one pushed NJCU's lead to 18-9 as part of a 10-point win. Pittar, who played just two sets, had back-to-back kills to lead the opening game victory.
 
There were 13 ties and eight lead changes in game two, including at 19-19, and CCNY gained a brief 20-19 lead after two NJCU attack errors. Kills by Montgomery and Pittar and a CCNY error gave the Knights a two-point lead (22-20) before a kill and an ace, both by Franco-Diaz, tied it again at 22-22. But a CCNY error and a kill by O'Donnell gave NJCU set point and Pittar landed an ace to wrap up a 25-22 win.
 
In set three, nine ties and five lead changes ensued early in the game. Tied 10-10, five straight points put NJCU in front 15-10 and the Beavers couldn't draw closer than two points the remainder of the set.
 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:

Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) and Shaylah Ware (Newark, NJ/Science Park) interviewed on Facebook Live: 
https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10155299886994915/ ???????

OF NOTE:

• Series vs. Centenary: 35th meeting between the programs. NJCU leads the all-time series, 19-16, and has won the last six meetings
• Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) reached double figures in digs for the 24th in her career.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU plays its second of four matches this week tomorrow night (Tuesday, October 3) at 7 p.m. when it faces Albertus Magnus College (11-7), members of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, in a non-conference match in New Haven, Connecticut. NJCU leads, the all-time series, 2-0, winning last year (September 6, 2016) in Jersey City, 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-15) and the only previous meeting on a neutral court in New York, N.Y in 1997. It will be the first meeting at Albertus Magnus.

 
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