LANGHORNE, Pa. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Junior libero David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) defended a season-high 20 digs but the New Jersey City University men's volleyball team (6-13) lost to Cairn University (10-14) by a 3-1 outcome (25-12, 21-25, 25-22, 25-18) in non-conference action on March 26.
 
Cairn combined for 11.0 total blocks but it was the play of senior opposite Micah Godshall (Souderton, Pa.) that ultimately was the difference. He put away 19 of Cairn's 37 kills and had 55 of its 129 attack attempts, overcoming 13 attack errors. He added 13 digs for a double-double and two aces.
 
Sophomore middle hitter Joffrey Rosa (Hackensack, N.J.) had six kills (6-2-15) and six blocks (five assisted) while junior setter Ryan Ludvik (Norfolk, Va.) dished 31 assists with nine digs, five service aces and five blocks.
 
Junior outside hitter Juston Wolgemuth (Elizabethtown, Pa.) contributed 13 digs and freshman middle Anton Deleon (Easton, Pa.) had four blocks (two solo).
 
Cairn committed a lot of attack errors (29) but the Gothic Knights were forced in 39 errors against 27 kills and its hitting percentage fell to -.-093 as NJCU dropped its fourth straight and eighth in nine matches.
 
Penaherrera kept NJCU alive with his third career 20-dig effort. Four Gothic Knights had six kills. Sophomore middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) was NJCU's top offensive player with six kills and four blocks. Freshman right side Alexander Umanzor (West New York, NJ/Memorial) finished with six kills, nine assists and two blocks. Sophomore setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) collected 15 assists and six digs and sophomore outside J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) finished with nine digs, six kills, two blocks and two aces.
 
The Highlanders led wire-to-wire in game one. Both teams hit in negative territory in game two and NJCU, despite 12 attack errors in the game, rallied to win the set. Down 21-20, NJCU scored the final five points of the set. A kill by freshman Luis Ayala (Elizabeth, NJ/Elizabeth) tied it and an ace by freshman middle Dave Etienne (Jersey City, NJ/Dickinson) gave NJCU a 22-21 lead. Back-to-back blocks by Moreira and Berdecia pushed the lead to 24-21 before an attack error ended it.
 
NJCU led 8-4 in game three behind six straight points in the early going. But Cairn used a 4-0 spurt in the middle of the set, punctuated by a triple block, to turn a 15-13 deficit into a 17-15 lead. NJCU would tie it at 17-17 before committing consecutive attack errors. Two kills by Godshall and back-to-back NJCU attack errors allowed the Highlanders to pull away, 25-22. In the fourth set, a kill by Rosa and two NJCU attack errors allowed Cairn to build a 20-14 lead and it prevailed by seven to win the match in four games.
 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 18th meeting; Cairn leads the all-time series, 15-3, and has won nine of the last 10 meetings.
• David Penaherrera (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) reached double figures in digs for the 27th time in his career and 20+ kills for the third time. He was one digs shy of equaling his career high of 21, done twice as a sophomore in 2017.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU tries to end the skid on Thursday, March 29 (7 p.m.) when it hosts the City College of New York at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court). It will be the 33rd meeting. NJCU leads the all-time series, 26-6, and has won 16 of the last 17 meetings.
 
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