NEWARK, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman middle hitter/right side Jonathan Andrews (Palisades Park, N.J./North Bergen) had a productive effort at the net but the New Jersey City University men's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 non-conference decision (27-25, 25-19, 25-14) to Rutgers-Newark on February 28 at The Golden Dome.
 
Andrews hit .353 and chalked up nine kills (9-3-17) and five blocks (four assisted) in a loss for the Gothic Knights (5-9). Rutgers-Newark, which has played an extremely competitive schedule, including six losses against nationally-ranked teams, is 5-11.
 
Freshman right side/middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, Fla./Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus), named Skyline Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day, had 10 kills, eight digs and three blocks but had 11 attack errors. NJCU hit .000 as a team with 26 kills cancelled out by 26 attack errors. Freshman setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, N.J./Harrison) gave out 25 assists and five digs.
 
Rutgers-Newark was led by Jalen Sorrell, a former Gothic Knight who earned First-Team All-Skyline honors for NJCU last year. He had 11 kills and hit .450 (11-2-20), adding three aces and two blocks. Corey Pieper chipped in seven kills, eight digs and two blocks.
 
Also for the Scarlet Raiders, Brendon Frank finished with 28 assists and three aces while Jake Connors had 10 digs. Dom Gutowski had six kills and four blocks (three assisted).
 
RUN had a 69 percent sideout rate in the match (42-60), including 76 percent (19-26) in an extended game one in which the hosts had 16 kills and hit .286 (16-6-35). The Raiders didn't hit particularly well, posting a .190 clip, but had 35 kills and only 16 errors in 100 swings.
 
Trailing 22-19, NJCU had back-to-back kills by Moreira and freshman middle Christian Ramirez (West New York, N.J./Memorial), followed by a Sorrell error, to tie it. RUN would regain leads at 23-22, 24-23 and 25-24, but each time NJCU managed to tie it, including a kill by Moreira to stave off set point. But tied 25-25, Pieper put away an attempt and an NJCU attack error gave the Raiders a tight 27-25 win. The Raiders opened up leads of 19-12 in game two and 20-11 in game three to pull away. The hosts sealed the win by scoring the final four points in game three.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: Rutgers-Newark leads, 5-0 (3-0 as a Division III program).
• Julian Moreira reached double figures in kills for the eighth time in 14 matches.
• Freshman outside hitters J.J. Berdecia (West New York, N.J./Memorial) had a career-high 12 digs in the loss—his second double-digit digs effort.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
After completing an eight-match road trip, NJCU is back at home on Thursday, March 2 at 7 p.m. when it meets Brooklyn College (8-5, Won 3) at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court'). It is NJCU's first home match since February 14. NJCU leads the all-time series, 23-0, including a 3-0 win last season in Jersey City. It will be the last match prior to a 13-day spring break for the Knights.