JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University led for most of set one before Kean University rallied late and the No. 6 ranked Cougars posted substantial hitting percentages in the second and third sets to sweep NJCU, 3-0 (25-23, 25-11, 25-17) in a non-conference match on January 31 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court). The match was the first of the 2018 season for the Gothic Knights—their 29th season of intercollegiate competition.
 
The Cougars, ranked No. 6 in the AVCA Division III Top 15 poll, improved to 6-1 on the year by hitting .600 in game two with 12 kills and no errors and .435 in the third set (12-2-23). Kean rebounded from nine errors in the opening game to still hit .370 for the match (38-11-73).
 
NJCU (0-1) played well in the opening set under new head coach Jorge Rodriguez `12 but the Knights committed 16 attack errors in the final two sets. Kean combined for 10.0 total blocks in the match. NJCU had 21 attack errors and fell narrowly into negative attack territory (-.014).
 
NJCU led the entire first set and by as many as four points, and tried to close it out up 22-20 after a kill by sophomore middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus). It was 23-22 after a Kean error. But the Cougars scored the final three points of the opening game—a kill by senior middle blocker Jared Warner (York, Pa.) tied it and after an NJCU attack error, junior right side Nick Buseski (Chicago, Ill.) sealed the game with a kill. The Cougars cruised in the final two games.
 
Kean was led by sophomore setter Ian Capp (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) with 27 assists in 48 attempts (.562) and two aces while sophomore outside hitter Steven Zarzycki (Rochester, N.Y.) had a match-high nine kills with four blocks.
 
Buseski hit .462 with seven kills (7-1-13), senior middle blocker Shayron Taylor (Jersey City, N.J.) hit .500 with seven kills in 10 swings (two errors) and Warner had four blocks (three solo) and four kills in eight swings. In all, 13 players saw time for Kean.
 
In its 2018 debut, Moreira was NJCU's top performer with five kills and four aces. Freshman right side Alexander Umanzor (West New York, NJ/Memorial) added five kills. Sophomore setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) dished 11 assists and freshman setter Luis Ayala (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) contributed seven assists. Junior libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) defended eight digs.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 16th meeting. Kean leads the all-time series, 16-0.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU plays its second match in as many days to open the season when it heads to Jamaica, Queens, N.Y. on Thursday, February 1 to face York College (NY) to open road action for the season. It will be the 28th meeting between the sides. NJCU leads all-time, 21-6, and has won 18 of the last 19 meetings.
 
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