JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Wilkes University easily took set four and held what appeared to be a convincing lead up 11-6 in the decisive fifth set. But the Colonels never scored again. Behind three kills and two blocks from freshman right side Julian Moreira (Miami, Fla./Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) and the serving of freshman setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, N.J./Harrison), the resilient New Jersey City University men's volleyball freshman class stormed back to overcome Wilkes, 3-2 (26-24, 18-25,  26-24, 10-25, 15-11) on March 27 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center ('Coach Charlie Brown Court').
 

After playing 11 consecutive matches that ended 3-0 and going 6-5 in that span, the NJCU (9-12) squad that consists of six starting freshmen, played a five-set affair for the first time in their careers and rose to the occasion, getting the timely plays it needed with no margin for error.
 
Wilkes (6-13) led in most major statistical categories, including 16.0 total blocks (16-9.5), a 54-46 margin in kills, and a .151 to .025 attack percentage as the Gothic Knights committed 42 attack errors. But three different NJCU players registered double figures in digs as the hosts registered 68 as a team and defensively the Knights shined, receiving serve at a stellar .980 percentage. Behind the line, NJCU only committed seven service errors, landed seven aces, including two by Vega during the late rally, and were more consistent defensively.
 
Moreira put away 14 kills with seven blocks (six assisted), eight digs and two aces while freshman middle hitter Jonathan Andrews (Palisades Park, N.J./North Bergen) hit .294 with 13 kills (13-3-34), six blocks and six digs. Vega had a career-high 41 assists with eight digs and two aces.
 
The lone non-freshman on the roster, sophomore libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison), led the defense, matching a career high with 21 digs. Freshmen outside hitters J.J. Berdecia (West New York, N.J./Memorial) and Edgar Crespo (Newark, N.J./Science Park) had 12 and 10 digs, respectively, and Crespo added three aces.
 
Sophomore John Pietrzyk (Glen Lyon, Pa.) had a match-high 18 kills, adding eight digs and three blocks while senior 6-foot-7 middle Mike Morrison (Dallas, Pa.) amassed 11 blocks (two solo, nine assisted). Freshman outside Thomas Bogarowski (Hanover, Pa.) tallied 10 kills, six blocks and eight assists.
 
Also for the Colonels, junior outside Daniel Sales (Laflin, Pa.) finished with 34 assists and 10 kills, hitting .250 (10-4-24). Senior outside Dylan Smith (York, Pa.) hit .300 with nine kills and no errors (30 attempts). He had three blocks.
 
After Wilkes jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the climactic final set and expanded it to 11-6 as Pietrzyk planted his 17th and 18th kills, NJCU sprung to life as Moreira racked up back-to-back kills and Morrison was long, forcing Wilkes to call timeout, clutching an 11-9 lead. After the break, Vega unleashed consecutive aces to tie it, 11-11, and nearly had a third, before Moreira and Andrews combined for a stuff of Pietrzyk on the outside and NJCU led 12-11. Wilkes went back to its top hitter and an off-balance Moreira slid to the middle and rejected Pietrzyk again, this time solo, for a 13-11 advantage. After an attack error gave NJCU three match points, Moreira buried a kill to seal it.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
There were 13 ties and eight lead changes in a very competitive game one. NJCU led 13-7 before Wilkes used three straight kills by Pietrzyk to claw back and tie it at 17-17. NJCU couldn't break free until Moreira's kill at 24-24 gave the hosts a second set point and an error ended the game.
 

Wilkes jumped out to an 11-5 lead in game two, including two kills by Sales sandwiched around a combo block by Morrison and Smith. Those two combined for another block at 14-6. NJCU ran off six in a row to draw within 16-15 and later 18-17, but Wilkes followed with a 6-0 spurt of its own, aided by four Knight errors and won the game on a double block by Bogarowski and Morrison.
 
Three blocks by Andrews, including two teaming with Moreira, allowed NJCU to jump out 9-1 in game three but once again it wasn't enough to pull away as the Colonels rallied to force five ties. Six straight points in the middle stages, including three straight winners by Bogarowski,  Pietrzyk and Morrison and an ace cut it to one (19-18) and another double block by Bogarowski and Morrison tied it at 22-22. NJCU twice took one-point lead before Wilkes tied it, including 24-24. But once again NJCU pulled it out. After Pietrzyk's attack was into the net, Moreira destroyed a swing on set point No. 2 for the 26-24 win. Wilkes grabbed a 10-3 lead in game, increased it to 15-5 and pulled away to force a fifth set. NJCU had a 28 percent sideout rate in the fourth game and hit -.152 (5-10-33).
 
QUOTABLE KNIGHTS:
 
Head Coach Robert Cole on Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/NJCUGothicKnights/videos/10154724564514915/
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: First-ever meeting. Wilkes is in its first year of varsity status.
• Julian Moreira reached double figures in kills for the 12th time in 21 matches.
• Jonathan Andrews reached double figures in kills for the third time in his career.
• Jimmy Vega's 41 assists are one more than the previous high of 40 against Cairn in four sets on February 7.
• David Penaherrera notched his 17th career effort of double digit digs (ninth of the season). His 21 digs equaled his season and career high of 21 against Cairn on February 7.
• J.J. Berdecia reached double figures in digs for the fourth time, matching his career high of 12 set at Rutgers-Newark on February 28.
• Edgar Crespo reached double figures in digs for the third time in his career.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU plays in a rare mid-week tri-match on Wednesday, March 29 at Harwood Arena in Union, N.J. NJCU meets host Kean University (16-8) at 4 p.m. in a non-conference contest before facing York College (N.Y.) in a neutral contest at 6 p.m. Kean leads the all-time series with NJCU, 13-0. It will be the 27th meeting against York (4-19); NJCU is 20-6 all-time, and has won 17 of the last 18 meetings.