RIVERDALE, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University's hopes of extending its season ended on April 7 as the Gothic Knight men's volleyball team fell to host College of Mount Saint Vincent, 3-0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-12) before dropping a 3-0 outcome (25-12, 25-15, 26-24) against Kean University in a Skyline Conference tri-match.
 
With the two losses, NJCU is eliminated from Skyline Tournament contention and will miss the postseason tournament for the first time in six years as an affiliate member of the league. It will also be NJCU's final match as a member of the league, finishing a six-year run with a 46-35 league record (.568). The Gothic Knights end their 28th season of men's volleyball with an 11-17 record and 3-6 in the Skyline.
 
Match 1: Mount Saint Vincent 3, New Jersey City 0 (25-15, 25-19, 25-12)
The host Dolphins only had seven more kills than NJCU but committed 16 fewer attack errors. CMSV hit .299 as a team (37-11-87) and had 9.0 blocks. The hosts never trailed in the second and third sets in a match played at the Peter Jay Sharp Center.
 
In defeat, sophomore libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) defended 11 digs. Freshman middle Christian Ramirez (West New York, NJ/Memorial) (West New York, N.J./Memorial) led NJCU with eight kills (8-4-21, .190) and two blocks. Freshman setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) (Harrison, N.J./Harrison) dished 26 assists with two aces and two blocks.
 
Senior opposite Tyler Cucullu (Henderson, Nev.) hit .467 and did not commit an error on a line of 7-0-15. Junior outside Sean O'Connor (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) had eight kills and two aces and junior setter Logan Dickover (Las Vegas, Nev.) delivered 33 assists and two solo blocks. Sophomore defensive specialist Augustine Ameruso (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) finished with 11 digs. Also for the Dolphins, freshman middle blocker Scott Sawyer (Marston Mills, Mass.) hit .500 with six kills (6-1-10) and junior middle Neven Skoblar (San Pedro, Calif.) added a .455 percentage (6-1-11) with four blocks.
 
The Dolphins used a 7-2 run to open a 15-9 lead. CMSV also jumped out a 7-2 lead in game two and scored seven of nine in the middle of set three to seize a 17-9 lead before collecting seven of the final eight points. CMSV had a 79 percent sideout rate on the evening, including 81 percent in game one (13-16) and 92 percent in the third set (12-13).
 
Match 2: Kean 3, New Jersey City 0 (25-12, 25-15, 26-24)
Kean used a 43-22 differential in kills and a .305 team attack percentage (43-18-82) to sweep NJCU. Kean serve received at a .978 percentage.
 
Kean never trailed in the first two sets. NJCU forced 10 ties and four lead changes in the final set before falling in extra points.
 
In only two sets of action, freshman outside Steven Zarzycki (Rochester, N.Y.) was the top player for both schools, leading Kean with 10 kills, a .500 attack (10-2-16) and two blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Kamil Garbowski (Clifton, N.J./Clifton) added eight kills at a .545 clip (8-2-11) and four blocks. Freshman setter Ian Capp (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) gave out 23 assists in two games. Junior setter Kevin Barrow (Bloomfield, N.J./Bloomfield) had 15 assists in one set.
 
Penaherrera added another 10 digs in the season finale while Vega tallied 22 assists. Freshman outside Edgar Crespo (Newark, NJ/Science Park) (Newark, N.J./Science Park) led NJCU with seven kills.
 
Kean, winners of five consecutive Skyline titles, opened a 4-0 lead in game one and scored 10 consecutive points in the middle of the set for a decisive 18-5 margin. Despite the hot start, Kean only had nine kills and hit .100 in game one. But the Knights hit -.318 in the game with two kills and nine errors.
 
The second and third sets saw Kean post 17 kills apiece, including a .464 team percentage in game two with a line of 17-4-28. An 8-2 run in the middle of the set allowed Kean to claim a 16-7 lead.
 
A pair of 4-0 spurts in game three allowed NJCU to build a 17-11 lead. Kean countered with four of the next five points, including three kills by Zarzycki. Another 4-0 streak for Kean allowed the Cougars to reclaim a 20-19 lead. Two kills by freshman right side Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) (Miami, Fla./Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) put NJCU back on top, 23-22, and NJCU led 24-23 after an error. But NJCU couldn't cash in on set point. Zarzycki tied it with a kill and back-to-back winners by freshman outside hitter Jacob Milnazik (Warminster, Pa.) sealed it, 26-24.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. Mount Saint Vincent: 53rd meeting; NJCU leads, 29-24.
• Series vs. Kean: Kean leads, 15-0.
• David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) notched his 18th and 19th career effort of double digit digs (10th and 11th of the season).
• NJCU was without starting freshman middle hitter Jonathan Andrews (Palisades Park, NJ/North Bergen) (Palisades Park, N.J./North Bergen) for both matches; he suffered a season-ending injury in an April 4 loss at Ramapo.