RIVERDALE, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University won the first set of the day but dropped the next six as the Gothic Knights fell in a pair of matches in a tri-match hosted by Mount Saint Vincent on February 3. NJCU lost to the host Dolphins, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-10, 25-21) before falling to Alvernia, 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-16). With the two losses, the Gothic Knights are 1-3 on the young season.
 
MATCH 1: Mount Saint Vincent 3, New Jersey City 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-10, 25-21)
Three of the four sets were tight but NJCU could only come out in front in the opening game and fell in four sets. There were nine ties in game one, 16 ties and five lead changes in game two and 10 ties and five lead changes in the fourth. CMSV improved to 2-5 with the win.
 
Freshman right side Alexander Umanzor (West New York, NJ/Memorial) finished with 13 kills and eight digs in the setback and sophomore middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) floored 10 kills, hitting .250 with three blocks. Freshman setter Luis Ayala (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) played all the way around and dished 36 assists with seven digs.
 
Also for the Knights, rookie middle hitter Dave Etienne (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) collected nine kills and two blocks. Sophomore outside hitter J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) produced 11 digs and three blocks while junior libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) added 11 digs.
 
For the Dolphins, junior outside hitter Jordan Steiger (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) had a match-best 15 kills without committing an error on 26 swings. That was good for a .577 attack percentage, adding 11 digs for a double-double.
 
Meanwhile, sophomore middle blocker Scott Sawyer (Marstons Mills, Mass.) had 10 kills but 10 attack errors. Junior defensive specialist Augustine Ameruso (Belle Harbor, N.Y.) had 14 assists and senior setter Logan Dickover (Las Vegas, Nev.) handed out 39 assists. Freshman middle Jose Estrella (Yonkers, N.Y.) finished with six blocks.
 
With the first set tied 23-23, NJCU won the last two points for a 1-0 lead. Tied 23-23 again in set two, CMSV drew even on a kill from Steiger and a service ace by senior middle hitter Neven Skoblar (San Pedro, Calif.) on set point. CMSV built a 15-4 lead in game three and cruised to the 25-10 win.
 
NJCU tried to force a fifth set and needed to win game four to do so. But leading 19-18, the Dolphins scored four straight points—two kills by Sawyer and a kill and ace by Steiger—to pull away, 25-21.  
 
MATCH 2: Alvernia 3, New Jersey City 0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-16)
In the first-ever meeting between the schools, Alvernia (2-5) hit .261, led by freshman outside Josh Stewart's (York, Pa.) .455 attacking effort. He had 11 kills (11-1-22). Freshman setter Mike Monczewski (Cherry Hill, N.J.) had 21 assists and five blocks to lead two setters for the Wolves.
 
Also for the second-year program, freshman outside Logan McGinley (Coplay, Pa.) finished with eight kills, hitting .319 (8-2-19) and sophomore libero Austin Rush (Perkasie, Pa.) defended 11 digs as NJCU was forced into 21 attack errors and struggled through a .060 attack percentage.
 
Umanzor and Berdecia had five kills apiece as NJCU struggled to get its offense going. Penaherrera collected 10 digs and Ayala handed out 24 assists.
 
Alvernia jumped out to a 12-4 lead in set one and used three straight kills late in game two to open a 23-16 margin en route to a 25-18 outcome. In game three, the Wolves used a 7-1 run late in the set to break open a 16-13 contest and won by nine, 25-16.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series vs. Mount Saint Vincent: 54th meeting. NJCU leads all-time, 29-25.
• Series vs. Alvernia: First meeting.
• Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) has reached double figures in kills 16 times in 32 matches in his NJCU career.
• David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) has defended 10+ digs in a match 21 times in his 58-match career.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU plays the first of four consecutive home matches at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court) on Tuesday, February 6 when it hosts the College of Saint Elizabeth at 7 p.m. It will be the first-ever meeting between the programs; the Eagles are in their inaugural campaign.
 
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