Box Score 1 | Box Score 3 JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The  New Jersey City University women's volleyball team closed out its home schedule in style on October 26, sweeping its final tri-match of the season. The Gothic Knights swept Maritime College, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-8) in the opening match before capping the day with a 3-1 triumph against Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham (25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 25-16). With the two wins, NJCU upped its record to 8-15 overall. 
 
In the middle match of the day at John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court), a neutral-court contest, Maritime knocked off FDU-Florham, 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-16).
 
Freshman libero Bella Sunahara (Parker, CO/Legend) continued to play scintillating defense to close her first collegiate season, registering her fourth and fifth consecutive effort of 20+ digs, notching a combined 46 on the day. Freshman outside hitter Xarial Chandler (East Orange, NJ/University) had 10 kills in each match
 
MATCH 1: New Jersey City 3, Maritime 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-8)
Sunahara had 20 of NJCU's 48 digs as its defense held Maritime (4-21) to a .023 attack percentage as the Gothic Knights swept the opener. NJCU uncorked 15 aces as a team in the sweep as six different players landed one.
 
NJCU hit .291 as a team with 30 kills and just seven attack errors. Chandler paced the effort with 10 kills and a stellar .438 attack rate (10-3-16) with six digs and senior outside Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) connected on six aces, six kills and eight digs. 
 
Also for NJCU, freshman setter Katrina Nguyendon (Union, NJ/Union) collected 28 assists and three aces. Sophomore outside Lola Vega finished with six kills and six digs, hitting .250 while sophomore middle blocker Leah Seickendick (Hoboken, NJ/Hudson Catholic) finished with five kills, hitting .444 (5-1-9) and four blocks
 
Junior outside Abigail Steele (Crossville, Tenn.) was the top player for the Privateers, providing 15 digs and five aces. Sophomore middle blocker Celyna Custodio (Danbury, Conn.) hit .333 with six kills (6-2-12). Junior setter Erika Kirchner (Lawrence, N.Y.) had 17 assists.
 
After Maritime jumped out to a 6-1 lead in game one, NJCU bounced back with a 6-0 run and another four straight, to build a 15-10 lead. Maritime scored four straight to draw within 16-15, before the Knights answered with nine of the final 11 points.
 
NJCU fell behind 18-16 in game two before a 4-0 run, including two aces by Duque, put the Knights back on top. Chandler and Seickendick each had two kills in the final five points to take a 2-0 lead. The Knights vaulted out to a 16-2 lead in the third set and were never challenged. NJCU led 24-4 before Maritime chipped away late to prevent a truly lopsided final result.

 
MATCH 2: New Jersey City 3, FDU-Florham 1 (25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 25-16)
Sunahara was even better in the second match, defending 26 digs and Nguyendon posted a double-double while setting up three Gothic Knights who finished in double figures in kills.
 
Nguyendon produced her ninth double-double of the season with 37 assists and 20 digs. Vega, Seickendick, Chandler and Duque combined for 42 of NJCU's 46 kills.
 
Seickendick had the best percentage, hitting .409 with 11 winners (11-2-22) and three blocks while Vega finished with 12 kills. Chandler may have had the best all-around effort of quartet of attackers, landing 10 kills with nine digs and six service aces. Duque had 15 digs, nine kills and four aces.
 
FDU-Florham (8-16) and three players combined for 39 of its 44 kills, led by senior outside Nathalia Padron (Caracus, Venezuela) with 17 kills (.208, 17-6-53) and 17 digs. Junior outside Jessica Garreffa (Chatham, N.J.) finished with 20 digs and 12 kills. Junior middle Liz Moise (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) hit .450 with 10 kills and one error (20 attempts) with six blocks.
 
Also for FDU, sophomore setter Kesha Patel (Edison, N.J,) handed out 26 assists and freshman setter Megan Walsh (Clifton, N.J.) had 13 more. Freshman libero Marilyn Torres (Mount Olive, N.J.) finished with 11 digs.
 
NJCU was up 17-15 in game one before Chandler planted back-to-back kills in as the Knights pulled away. NJCU later scored three straight to build a 24-17 margin. In the second set, FDU led 18-12 and 20-15, before the Knights battled back, scoring four straight on kills by Duque, Vega and Seickendick and a Sunahara ace. Two attack errors allowed FDU to move in front, 23-21, but NJCU countered by scoring the final four points of the set and winning, 25-23.
 
FDU forced a fourth set by holding off a late charge in game three. After FDU jumped in front, 20-12, NJCU chiseled down to 23-19, before the Devils ultimately held on, 25-21.
 
But in the fourth set, with NJCU down 9-4, the Gothic Knights unleashed a blistering 13-0 run behind the serving of Duque to seize a 17-9 lead. She had four aces during the tear. Leading 19-13, NJCU scored another five in a row, including consecutive aces by Chandler, before closing out a dominant 25-16 win.
 
 OF NOTE:

• Series vs. Maritime: NJCU leads, 5-0 (five sweeps).
• Series vs. FDU-Florham: 13th meeting. FDU leads, 9-4. First meeting since September 23, 2011. First meeting in Jersey City since October 16, 2004.
• Sunahara tallied her sixth and seventh career match with 20+ digs and she has reached double figures in digs in 14 of her 20 career matches. 
• Chandler reached double digits in kills for the fifth consecutive match and ninth time this season.
• Vega reached double digits in kills for the fifth time this season (sixth of career).
• Seickendick equaled her season high with 11 kills; she had 11 kills against Baruch on October 19, 2019. She reached double digits in kills for the third time at NJCU.
• Nguyendon tallied her ninth double-double this season.
• Duque had her 21st career effort of double-digit digs.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU will play the final New Jersey Athletic Conference match this year on Tuesday, October 29 (7:00 p.m.) at Rutgers-Camden.

 
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