JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Four players uncorked at least four service aces and the New Jersey City University women's volleyball team unleashed 23 total aces in a three-set sweep of York College (NY), 3-0, by a 25-12, 25-9,25-14 margin on September 7 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
Sophomore outside hitter Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) fired six aces, senior setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) landed five and junior outside Ayleen Pittar (Union City, NJ/Union City) and sophomore outside Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) notched four apiece as NJCU pulled even at .500 on the season at 3-3. York dropped to 0-4.
 
In a match that took under an hour to play, NJCU posted a 75 percent sideout percentage (27-of-36) and had a staggering 21-6 kills differential. NJCU's defense held the Cardinals in negative attack territory with 16 errors in 39 attempts and a -.256 percentage.
 
The Gothic Knights had 21 kills in 50 swings, hitting .180. Junior middle hitter Nadia Montgomery (Jersey City, NJ/Hudson Catholic) led NJCU with five kills in seven attempts (one error) to hit .571. McIntyre had 12 assists to go with her five aces. Freshman middle hitter Leah Seickendick (Hoboken, NJ/Hudson Catholic) had three blocks, including two solo rejections.
 
The Knights had nine aces in the first set, six in the second and capped the evening with eight in the third game. Five straight points in game one, highlighted by three straight aces by Pittar, allowed NJCU to pull away. Later, back-to-back aces by Rayo, followed by her kill from the back row, made it, 20-10.
 
NJCU led start to finish in the second set when it jumped out to an 8-0 lead behind the serving of McIntyre, who had three aces in that span. The margin reached 10-1 and 16-3 after three consecutive kills. Back-to-back aces by Duque extended it to 22-7 and York was held without a kill for the entire set, hitting -.462 with a line of 0-6-13.
 
More aces helped NJCU take control in the third set. Sophomore defensive specialist Kayla Clarke (East Rutherford, NJ/Becton Regional) landed consecutive aces for a 9-4 lead and Duque unleashed three straight aces in the middle of a 6-0 spurt that made the lead 15-5. An ace by Rayo on match point put an exclamation mark on NJCU's serving effort.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: NJCU leads, 17-1 and has won the last 16 meetings since 1991.
• McIntyre is fourth in school history with 2,028 assists and now is ninth all-time with 171 aces; she needs 13 more aces for eighth place.
• It was the second time this season NJCU served 20 or more aces in a match (22 vs. St. Elizabeth, September 1, 4 sets).
• The 23 aces are the most since NJCU had 26 vs. Medgar Evers on October 22, 2016.
• The six kills by York are the fewest by an opponent since Maritime College was limited to four on September 21, 2013.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU opens its eight-match New Jersey Athletic Conference schedule on Tuesday, September 12 at 7 p.m. when it meets Rutgers University-Camden in Camden, N.J. The Scarlet Raptors won last year in Jersey City, 3-1 (25-16, 25-23, 21-25, 25-21) on September 13, 2016. NJCU leads the all-time series, 15-8, but Camden has won the last eight meetings.

 
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