JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Sophomore middle blocker Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) and sophomore outside hitter J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) each hit over .400 with double digit kills to power the New Jersey City University men's volleyball team (7-13) to a 3-0 sweep of the City College of New York (11-7), 25-10, 25-19, 25-16 in non-conference action on March 29 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).  
 
NJCU snapped a four-match losing skid and had a 35-19 differential in kills. Moreira hit .409 with 11 kills (11-2-22), five blocks (four assisted) and two aces while Berdecia put away 10 kills in 20 swings (two errors) for a .400 clip.
 
Sophomore setter Jimmy Vega (Harrison, NJ/Harrison) handed out 21 assists. Freshman right side hitter Joseph Stawicki (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) hit .500 with six kills (6-2-8) and two blocks and freshman right side Alexander Umanzor (West New York, NJ/Memorial) hit .400 with five kills (5-1-10), six assists, three blocks and two aces.
 
CCNY's top performer was sophomore outside Carlos Maldonado Madrid (Honduras) with nine of its 19 kills. He hit .160 (9-5-25). Sophomore setter Andres Ramirez (Cucuta, Colombia) had 16 assists.
 
NJCU hit .259 overall (35-14-81). The Beavers were limited to a -.030 attack percentage with 21 attack errors (19-21-67).
 
The Gothic Knights were incredibly efficient in game one, hitting .600 overall with 13 kills (13-1-20) and a 90 percent sideout rate (10-11) while never trailing. NJCU built leads of 10-3 and 16-6 before capping the game with a 7-1 streak.
 
NJCU had 11 kills in both the second and third sets and finished the match with a 72 percent sideout ratio (34-47). In game two, CCNY pulled within 18-17 before it committed three straight errors. The Beavers got back within two (21-19) before the Knights scored the final four points; Moreira had a solo block and a kill to highlight that stretch.
 
In the third set CCNY was able to rally from an early deficit to draw within two, 16-14. But Berdecia smashed back-to-back kills to spark a 5-0 run. He had three kills during that stretch and Umanzor added two aces to make the lead 21-14 and overall NJCU concluded the match by scoring nine of the final 11 points.

 
NOTABLES:

• Series: 33rd meeting. NJCU leads the all-time series, 27-6, and has won 17 of the last 18 meetings.
• Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus) has reached double figures in kills 24 times in 46 matches in his NJCU career.
• J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) reached 10+ kills for the second time this season and fourth time in his career; the 10 kills equal a career high.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU is home again on March 30 when it faces its second Midwest opponent of the season, Fontbonne University, which is visiting the East Coast on a five-day, seven-match trip.
 
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