NEW YORK, N.Y. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University women's volleyball team fell behind two sets before grabbing the third and fourth sets, but its comeback ultimately fell short to John Jay College, losing in five sets, 25-15, 25-17, 19-25, 24-26, 15-11. The non-conference match was played on October 3 at the John Jay Fitness Center. 
 
NJCU was led by senior outside hitter Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) who collected her eighth career double-double [first this season] with 14 kills and 13 digs on the night while freshman libero  Bella Sunahara (Parker, CO/Legend) returned from missing three matches due to injury to defend 18 digs. Freshman setter Katrina Nguyendon (Union, NJ/Union) had team-leading 27 assists and five aces. Sophomore middle blocker Leah Seickendick (Hoboken, NJ/Hudson Catholic) provided nine kills.
 
For the Bloodhounds, sophomore outside Niovis Monsanto (Yonkers, N.Y.) and senior middle Mirialis Almanzar (Brooklyn, N.Y.) led the way with 18 kills apiece. Monsanto added 17 digs for a double-double. Almanzar had eight digs and six aces, while senior setter Kimberly Rodriguez (Glendale, N.Y.) led the way with 45 assists. Sophomore right side Sophia Wheelan (Hanover, N.H.) finished with nine kills.
 
The Gothic Knights (5-10) got off to a fast start in the first, collecting seven of the first 10 points over the Bloodhounds (2-10), but John Jay quickly tied things up, with the two teams trading the lead back and forth throughout the first half of the set. John Jay made their move late, however, scoring the final six points to take the first set, 25-15.
 
The story was much the same in the second set, with the Knights getting out to an early lead, but the Bloodhounds closed it out with the final six points for the 25-17 second set win.
 
In the third game, the Knights flipped the script, making a mid-set run, from down 11-10 to up 20-14 before holding on to cut into the Bloodhound lead, 2-1.
 
In the fourth, the two teams traded long runs, with the Knights going from a 10-10 tie to a 21-14 lead, while the Bloodhounds made a last-gasp effort to score six straight to tie things at 24-24. A huge kill from senior middle Diana Trochimowicz (Linden, NJ/Linden) before an ace from Nguyendon won the set for NJCU to set up a tie-breaking fifth set.
 
The two teams traded points early in the fifth and JJC held a narrow 6-4 lead before the Bloodhounds pulled away with four consecutive points, winning the final set, 15-11, for their second victory of the season.
 
  OF NOTE:

• Series: This was the 28th meeting between the two sides, with NJCU leading, 24-4. The Bloodhounds have now won the last two match-ups.

 
UP NEXT:

• NJCU gets back into New Jersey Athletic Conference play, with a road game in Wayne, N.J. against William Paterson (7-7, 0-3 NJAC) on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. 

 
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