ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University men's volleyball program received contributions from its entire roster in a well-rounded effort as the Gothic Knights opened its 30th season of action with a 3-0 (25-11, 25-11, 25-18) road sweep of Bard College on January 30.
 
NJCU (1-0) hit .265 as a team, including percentages well over .300 in each of the first two dominant set wins. Bard fell to 1-2 on the year.
 
Sophomore outside Jonathan Andrews (Palisades Park, NJ/North Bergen), returning to the program after missing the 2017 season, had an impressive return, hitting .429 with eight kills in 14 attempts (two errors) and six digs while sophomore right side Joseph Stawicki (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) provided seven kills at a .357 percentage (7-2-14). Sophomore Alexander Umanzor (West New York, NJ/Memorial) got the start at setter and delivered 17 assists, seven digs and three aces.
 
Other opening-day contributors for NJCU included potentially its top newcomer in rookie middle hitter Jeffry Rodriguez (Elizabeth, NJ/John E. Dwyer Technology AcademyElizabeth, N.J. (John E. Dwyer Technology Academy), who tallied six kills in 15 swings (6-2-15, .267). NJCU was playing without its top returning player, two-year captain and middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus).
 
Bard hit .-094 in the match and could never get its offense going. Junior Tristan Kozul (South Kingstown, R.I.) provided nine kills, seven digs and two aces while sophomore libero Colin Schroeder (Port Washington, N.Y.) finished with 10 digs. Sophomore setter Nic Smith (Los Angeles, Calif.) had 15 assists
 
NJCU hit .367 in the first set of the season, putting away 13 kills (13-2-30) against two attack errors and were not too far off that mark in the second set, hitting .318 (11-4-22).
 
NJCU jumped out to a huge 15-4 lead in game one, scoring nine consecutive points behind the serving of freshman setter Aaron Mantilla (Kearny, NJ/Kearny). Umanzor served two aces to help close out the set.
 
In game two, NJCU held a four-point, 17-11 lead, before Rodriguez stepped behind the service line and unleashed eight consecutive points. Andrews had three kills during the late tear.
 
In the third set NJCU overcame an early 8-3 deficit. Down 15-12, NJCU fought back to score the next five to reclaim the lead for good. Junior libero J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) had a pair of aces during the rebound. A combo block by sophomore middle Christian Ramirez (West New York, NJ/Memorial) and junior outside Edgar Crespo (Newark, NJ/Science Park) extended the lead to 22-16 before NJCU won by seven points.
 
UP NEXT:
 

• NJCU plays its first tri-match of the season on Saturday, February 2 when it heads to Alvernia University in Reading, Pa. NJCU challenges No. 13 ranked Lancaster Bible in a neutral court match at 1 p.m. before facing Alvernia at 3 p.m.

 
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