JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University became the fourth consecutive school to take once-beaten William Paterson University to five sets but for the fourth consecutive outing, the Pioneers found a way to outlast an opponent. NJCU (5-11, 0-5 NJAC) posted dramatic wins in the first and fourth sets but fell to William Paterson (13-1, 2-1 NJAC), 3-2 (23-25, 25-13, 25-11, 23-25, 15-6) on October 2 in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
Senior setter Shaylah Ware (Newark, NJ/Science Park) handed out 53 assists—the most by a Gothic Knight setter in 10 years—and NJCU received three dominant offensive performances from junior outside hitter Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial), senior outside Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) and junior right side Pamela Florimon (Teaneck, NJ/Memorial), who combined for 52 of NJCU's 55 kills. But NJCU was hamstrung by more than twice as many attack errors as WP, committing 37 in the loss to just 16 for the Pioneers.
 
While NJCU had five more kills in the contest, the Gothic Knights can ultimately point to the attack errors as the difference in the outcome. WP hit .214 overall. Six Pioneers had double-digits in digs.
 
Duque blasted a career-high 20 kills, becoming the second Gothic Knight with 20 kills in a match this season and O'Donnell posted a career-high 18 winners. Florimon, who had 20 kills in a five-set loss to Alvernia on September 15, finished with 14 kills.
 
Duque, O'Donnell and Ware each produced double-doubles. Ware distributed 53 assists and 11 digs. Duque landed 20 kills (20-12-69, .116) and defended 23 digs. O'Donnell added 18 kills (18-12-51, .118) with 19 digs. Florimon finished with 14 kills (14-9-45, .111). Senior libero Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) gave out 19 digs.
 
WP senior setter Kendall Caruso (Secaucus, N.J.) broke the Pioneers' career assists record early in the second set—a mark that stood since 2003—and finished with 39 assists and 16 digs with four aces.
 
Only two Pioneers had double-digit kills. Junior middle Alyson Toman (Secaucus, N.J.) was the most efficient, landed 17 kills against one error (45 attempts) and hit .356. Senior outside Amanda Lembo (North Haledon, N.J.) added 13 kills (13-2-39, .282) and 13 digs and senior middle Christine Griffith (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) added 15 digs, nine kills, a .318 attack rate (9-2-22) and three blocks. Freshman outside Jamie O'Shea (Rockaway, N.J.) finished with six blocks (two solo) and 10 digs. Junior libero Barbara Colizza (Hawthorne, N.J.) and sophomore Dakota Apicella (Kendall Park, N.J.) finished with 17 and 11 digs, respectively.
 
Despite only winning the open set by two points, NJCU was dominant offensively. The game had 10 ties and six lead changes but ultimately NJCU pounded 19 kills and hit .277 in the game (19-6-47). Ware had 18 assists in the set. Florimon hit .467 with eight kills (8-1-15) and O'Donnell added seven more, hitting .357 (7-2-14). The Pioneers led 22-21 before Florimon buried back-to-back kills and O'Donnell put away two more winners, including a kill at 24-23 to seal it.
 
WP led wire-to-wire in games two and three, jumping out to a 16-4 lead in the second set and a 22-8 edge in game three. WP hit .367 (14-3-30) and .360 (9-0-25) in two efficient periods.
 

The fourth set saw eight ties and four lead changes and NJCU's offense awoke again as the Knights pounded 15 kills (vs. 8 for WP), to force a fifth set. NJCU led 21-19 before scoring four straight points, including two kills by Duque to seize a 24-21 lead. WP drew within 24-23 before Duque clinched game four with another kill.
 
Things started off well for NJCU in the fifth set, scoring the first three points on two kills by Duque sandwiched around a Ware ace. But WP responded with the next eight points behind the serving of Caruso to claim an 8-3 advantage. After NJCU cut it to 10-6, the Pioneers capped the evening by scoring the final five points—two kills and three NJCU attack errors accounted for the last five scores.
 
OF NOTE:

• 53rd meeting. William Paterson leads 41-12 and have won the last 10 meetings.
• NJCU fell to 1-4 in five-set matches this season.
• William Paterson has won its last four matches by 3-2 results (September 20 at Rowan, September 22 vs. Cedar Crest and John Jay).
• Shaylah Ware (Newark, NJ/Science Park)'s 53 assists were the most since Alex Johanesen had 55 assists against Ramapo on October 14, 2008.
• Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) is the first NJCU player with 20 kills and 20 digs in a match since Tabitha Jordan had 22 kills and 20 digs in four sets against Rosemont College on September 11, 2010.
• Kendall Caruso broke the William Paterson career record of 2,643 assists by Deni Sobieck (2000-03).
• Duque reached double figures in kills for the eighth time in her career and fifth time this year. It was her second straight outing with a career high in kills (16, at Staten Island, September 30).
• Duque had her fifth double-double of the season and seventh of her career.
• Duque reached double figures in digs for the seventh time this season and 12th time in her career.
• Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) reached double figures in kills for the 14th time in her career and fifth time this season.
• O'Donnell reached double figures in digs for the 38th time in her career.
• O'Donnell increased her career digs total to 821 and is now 15th in school history. She needs 179 more to become the 10th Gothic Knight with 1,000 career digs. She passed Virginia Ortiz (1998-01, 286 sets, 809 digs) on the all-time list.
• O'Donnell had her fourth double-double of the season and eighth career double-double.
• Ware moved into 14th place (tied) in school history with 144 career aces in only 204 sets—45 sets less than any other player in the Top 15.
• Ware had her third consecutive double-double, her third this season and sixth of her three-year NJCU career.
• Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) had 10 or more digs for the 25th times in her career, 10th time this season and the fourth match in a row.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU heads to New York City on Thursday, October 4 for a non-conference match with Baruch College (5-12). It will be the 12th meeting in a series Baruch leads, 8-3. NJCU won last season, 3-0 (25-20,25-22,26-24).
 
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