JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Ramapo College hit .387 in the opening set to set the tempo for a 3-0 win (25-17, 25-13, 25-17) over the  New Jersey City University women's volleyball team in the 2018 New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for both schools on September 11 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. The match was also the NJCU home opener.
 
Ramapo (3-3, 1-0 NJAC) led wire-to-wire in the first two sets and posted a 37-20 differential in kills over the Gothic Knights (1-3, 0-1 NJAC). RCNJ served seven aces, hit .214 as a team, and served strong to the tune of a 70 percent sideout rate (34-48).
 
Ramapo was led by junior outside hitter Morgan Ridgway (Barnegat, N.J.) who put away 11 kills and 11 digs, adding to her double-double with a .385 attack percentage. She was one of three RCNJ players with two aces.
 
NJCU senior outside Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) was the top Knight, finishing with nine digs and eight kills. Junior outside Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had a match-high and career-best 16 digs and hit .312 with six kills (6-1-16). Senior setter/libero Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) dished 13 assists.
 
Other standouts for Ramapo include sophomore outside Hannah Frascella (Hawthorne, N.J.) who hit .333 with six kills (6-0-18) and junior outside Felicia Jimenez (Jersey City, N.J.) with six kills at a .357 percentage (6-1-14). Junior libero Kristina Semple (Sewell, N.J.) had 13 digs and junior Kate Shirkey (Roxbury, N.J.) led a two-setter system with 17 assists.
 
RCNJ had 15 kills and only three errors in the first set when it had a 64 percent sideout rate and its serving improved as the match went on, siding out at 71 and 76 percent levels in the final two sets. Ramapo had 14 kills in game three. NJCU sided out at just a 44 percent rate in the loss (33-74). Tied 12-12 in game three, RCNJ put together a 9-1 stretch to pull away.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: Ramapo leads, 29-18, and has won the last 12 meetings.
• Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) defended 10+ digs in a match for the second time this season and seventh time in her career.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU is back at home on Thursday, September 13 (7 p.m.) when it hosts St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) in a non-conference match. The Bears will come in at 0-3. NJCU leads the all-time series, 5-0.
 
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