JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Freshman right side/middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, Fla./Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) smashed 14 kills to help pace the New Jersey City University men's volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-12, 25-20) non-conference win over Brooklyn College on March 2 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court').  NJCU is 24-0 all-time against BC.
 
NJCU upped its mark to 6-9, winning for the fourth time in five matches while snapping Brooklyn's three-match winning streak. The Bulldogs (8-6) had trouble stringing together consecutive points, suffering through a 46 percent sideout rate on the night.
 
Moreira, this week's Skyline Conference Player of the Week, reached double figure kills yet again, putting away 14 kills on 31 swings (.194) with five blocks while freshman middle hitter/right side Jonathan Andrews (Palisades Park, N.J./North Bergen) added eight kills and five blocks (one solo). Freshman setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, N.J./Harrison) gave out 32 assists and uncorked three aces.
 
Also for NJCU, sophomore libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) delivered 13 digs and freshman middle Christian Ramirez (West New York, N.J./Memorial) put away five kills at a .273 percentage (5-2-11). Freshman outside hitters J.J. Berdecia (West New York, N.J./Memorial) finished with eight kills and five blocks.
 
Brooklyn's top performer was Vaughn Titus (College Point, N.Y.) with five kills and three blocks. Freshman opposite Ahmed Moawad (Brooklyn, N.Y.) added six kills.
 
KEY MOMENTS:
Tied 13-13 in game one, NJCU reeled off the next four points—led by three kills by Moreira. BC drew within one (19-18) on a double block before a service error ended the rally and Moreira's swing from the back row trickled over the tape to the floor for a winner (21-18). BC couldn't draw closer than two from there. After a long rally Berdecia had

a winner from the back row, Andrews finished a smash in the middle (24-21) and on the second set point, a solo stuff by Andrews caught the attacker falling out of bounds for the winning point. NJCU had 15 kills in the set—six by Moreira (6-3-13) and five by Andrews who hit .571 (5-1-7) in game one.
 
NJCU jumped out to a 10-0 lead in game two behind the serving of Vega, scoring half the points on kills. NJCU had a 75 percent sideout rate in the game while Brooklyn was just 36 percent. An ace by Vega, a kill by freshman outside hitter Edgar Crespo (Newark, N.J./Science Park) into a useful spot on the back line and an Andrews smash forced an early BC timeout. The lead would swell to 12-1 and thunder from Moreira made it 15-3. NJCU closed out the set, 25-12.  

Game three was the most competitive, featuring eight ties. NJCU trailed early, 13-9, before scoring six consecutive points. Moreira and Berdecia each had two kills during that run and Andrews and Moreira teamed for a block as NJCU moved in front, 15-13. BC tied it and took the lead back twice, including 18-17. NJCU tied it each time, including 18-18 on a Ramirez kill in the middle and a BC error put NJCU back on top, 19-18. A solo block on a joust evened it at 19-19. Ramirez again put away a swing before BC tied it for the final time at 20-20.
 
From there, NJCU chalked up the final five points. Up 21-20, Moreira, left unblocked at the net, buried a kill to cap a long sequence. A block by Moreira and Andrews extended the lead before Vega fired off an ace on match point.
 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:
Fourth-year head coach Robert Cole on the win: "We're happy to get this win heading into the bye. As a whole, I don't think anyone in that locker room has been happy with the effort and execution of the last week or so. It's nice to be able to hit the reset button, get healthy, and come back ready for a good month of volleyball."
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads, 24-0.
• Julian Moreira reached double figures in kills for the ninth time in 15 matches.
• David Penaherrera notched his 14th career effort of double digit digs (sixth of season).

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU will be idle the next 13 days over spring break before returning to the court on Wednesday, March 15 when it opens Skyline Conference action with a home match (7 p.m.) against Yeshiva University. NJCU leads that all-time series, 31-0 (all sweeps).