JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University won its first home men's volleyball match of the season, defeating the College of Saint Elizabeth in three sets, 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-18) on February 6 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court). It was the first-ever meeting between NJCU and Saint Elizabeth in any men's sport.
 
NJCU (2-3) hit .209 as a team and placed both middle hitters in double figures in kills while producing 17 more kills than Saint Elizabeth (2-7).
 
Sophomore middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) smashed 12 kills in 20 swings to hit .450 (three errors) while freshman middle Dave Etienne (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) ignited for a .571 attack percentage, 10 kills (10-2-14) and three blocks.
 
Freshman setter Luis Ayala (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) handed out 20 assists in 45 attempts (.444) and sophomore setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) dished 14 assists in 33 sets (.424).
 
Defensively, sophomore outside hitter Edgar Crespo (Newark, NJ/Science Park) was one dig shy of a career high, finishing with 10 and sophomore outside J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had nine digs and six kills. Junior libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) added eight digs.
 
For the Eagles, freshman middle blocker Justin Millan (West Caldwell, N.J.) had eight kills and four blocks (two solo) and freshman opposite Josh Ramos (Elizabeth, N.J.) collected 11 digs, six kills and four aces. Freshman setter Chino Singalivo (Newark, N.J.) provided 17 assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
In game one, NJCU led 15-9 and 17-11 but CSE drew within two, 17-15, after a solo block and monster kill by Ramos and it remained 18-16 when the teams traded swings. A kill off the block by Crespo made it 19-16 before another Ramos kill cut it to 19-17 and his back-to-back aces tied it at 19-19. The comeback led to six ties and three lead changes. A kill by Crespo put NJCU back on top before Millan tied it and Etienne planted a kill in the middle of the court to regain a 21-20 lead. Millan poked a free ball to the floor to tie it again (21-21). After a CSE service error, miscommunication on a second ball allowed it to be tied again and an ace by Singalivo gave CSE its first lead (23-22).
 
But NJCU responded. Moreira crushed a ball to tie it at 23-23. Freshman right side Alexander Umanzor (West New York, NJ/Memorial) bombed a ball off the block to give NJCU set point, 24-23 and Umanzor followed with a cross-court winner inside the 10-foot line to clinch a 25-23 win. He finished with five kills in the match.
 
In game two, began pulling away midway through the game, using an 8-1 run to grab an early 12-6 lead. Three straight kills (Etienne, Moreira, Umanzor) and an ace by sophomore James Amanonce (Jersey City, NJ/Ferris) pushed the margin to 19-10 and Moreira unleashed three kills in a row to elevate the margin to 22-11 before NJCU prevailed by that same differential.
 
In game three, CSE opened an early 8-4 lead against a mixture of NJCU starters and reserves, but NJCU capitalized when CSE committed five straight errors including four attack errors in a row, to gain an 11-10 lead. That helped spark an 11-1 run, capped by a double block by Etienne and Umanzor, sandwiched around kills by Etienne and Berdecia, that allowed the hosts to seize control, 17-11, and the Knights cruised to a seven-point win.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: First ever meeting.
• NJCU's first-ever meeting with Saint Elizabeth in any men's sport. CSE, formerly an all-women's school, went co-ed in Fall, 2016.
• Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) has reached double figures in kills 17 times in 33 matches in his NJCU career.
• Edgar Crespo (Newark, NJ/Science Park) defended double figure digs for the fourth time in his career.
• Dave Etienne (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson)'s 10 kills are a career high—one more than his previous high of nine on February 3 at Mount Saint Vincent.

 
 
UP NEXT:
NJCU plays the second of four consecutive home matches on Thursday, February 8 when it hosts Lehman College at 7 p.m. It will be the 41st meeting in a series NJCU leads, 26-14. NJCU has won 21 of the last 23 meetings but the Lightning won last year's meeting (January 30, 2017) in the Bronx, N.Y., 3-1 (25-18, 25-12, 13-25, 25-17).
 
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