PURCHASE, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University's men's volleyball team suffered its first-ever loss to Purchase College on February 1, dropping a 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-23) non-conference road match. The Gothic Knights committed 25 attack errors and hit -.011 in the loss.
 
Purchase evens its mark at 1-1 while NJCU (0-2) begins the season with its second straight road setback. NJCU has committed 53 attack errors in its first seven sets of the season.
 
Freshman opposite/outside hitter Jonathan Andrews (Palisades Park, N.J./North Bergen) was the top offensive player, contributing nine kills (five errors) in 24 swings for a .167 percentage. Sophomore libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) delivered a match-high 19 digs.
 
Freshman setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, N.J./Harrison), a First-Team All-State selection as a high school senior, tallied 20 assists and nine digs  while freshman middle hitter Christian Ramirez (West New York, N.J./Memorial) had four kills, three blocks and two aces.
 
Purchase owned a 38-24 kills margin and hit .224 as a team, led by two players. Andrew Schwab had 10 kills and hit .364 (10-2-22) with 13 assists and nine digs—narrowly missing a triple-double.  Kevin Carges finished with a match-high 11 kills, adding nine digs and two blocks.
 
Also for the Panthers, Riley Damerell totaled 18 assists, five aces and five kills. Chris Williams chalked up three blocks.
 
NJCU had just a 46 percent sideout rate in the loss (34-73), including 9-of-24 (37 percent) in the first set.
 
After losing the first set, NJCU vaulted out to a 12-2 lead in game two but couldn't maintain it as Purchase scored seven consecutive points, including six with Damerell behind the service line. NJCU still led 21-19 late before Purchase scored the next five points, aided by three NJCU attack errors, to claim a 24-21 lead.
 
The Panthers opened a 6-1 lead in the third set. NJCU did tie it at 10-10 and had its chances late. Down 24-21, NJCU drew within one, 24-23, before Schwab put away a kill on the third match point.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads, 15-1 (11 sweeps).
• NJCU and Purchase are both members of the Skyline Conference in men's volleyball though this was a non-conference contest. The two teams meet again in a league match on March 18.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will play a non-conference tri-match in Weston, Mass. on Saturday, February 4. It meets The Sage Colleges, also a conference opponent, will meet NJCU in a 2 p.m. neutral court non-conference affair before the Knights face host Regis College at 4 p.m.