JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team posted its 33rd consecutive win over Yeshiva University in 33 all-time meetings as the Gothic Knights defeated the Maccabees, 3-1 (25-11, 23-25, 25-19, 25-19) on February 21 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
NJCU (4-5) hit .226 overall, and had decisive margins in kills (47-20), assists (41-17), service aces (13-4), blocks (8.0-3.0) and points (68.0-27.0). Yeshiva fell to 1-1.
 
When Yeshiva won the second set against NJCU, scoring the final four points of the game to do so, it marked the first time Yeshiva had ever won a set from NJCU. The Knights had won the first 97 sets ever played between the sides.
 
Sophomore middle blocker Christian Ramirez (West New York, NJ/Memorial) hit .273 with 11 kills, four blocks (two solo) and two aces while sophomore right side Joseph Stawicki (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) pounded 10 kills, hitting .412 (10-3-17) with two blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Jonathan Andrews (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) provided nine kills at a .353 percentage (9-3-17) and six digs and three-time defending New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week Leo Ferrari (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) hit .333 with seven kills (7-2-15), six digs, two aces and two blocks.
 
Sophomore setter/right side Alexander Umanzor (West New York, NJ/Memorial) tallied 18 assists and five aces while freshman setter Aaron Mantilla (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) added 17 assists.
 
Yeshiva received eight of its 20 kills from senior outside Chaim Aryeh Rubin (Skokie, Ill.). He finished with eight kills and eight digs. Sophomore setter Isaac Pomerance (Los Angeles, Calif.) dished 12 assists and landed three aces. Sophomore Eliyahou Benhamou (Montreal, Canada) tallied five kills and two blocks.
 
NJCU decisively won the first set, hitting .667 in the set with 11 kills (11-1-15) and a 91 percent sideout rate (11-12). NJCU scored 20 of its 25 points on its own merit—11 kills, seven aces and 2.0 blocks.
 
But game two had a different vibe. With a mixture of starters and reserves on the court, there were 12 ties and six lead changes and the Maccabees twice mounted comebacks. With NJCU leading 20-17, NJCU committed four consecutive errors—three on attacks. NJCU scored the next three points to seize a 23-21 margin and looked to be in good shape. But a kill by Rubin, two NJCU attack errors and a winner by Benhamou allowed Yeshiva to shock the Knights. Yeshiva won the set despite hitting in negative territory (-.077, 5-7-16) in the game.
 
Yeshiva challenged NJCU in the third set with five more ties and drew within two points at 17-15. But NJCU scored the next three, led by kills from Ferrari and Andrews and pulled away.

 
The Knights trailed Yeshiva 6-1 and 15-10 in the fourth set before slowing righting the ship. A 6-0 run allowed NJCU to turn a 15-10 deficit into a 16-15 lead and after YU momentarily tied it, extended the spurt to 10-1, scoring the next four points, including two kills from junior middle hitter Julian Moreira (Miami, FL/Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Biscayne Bay Campus), who largely had the night off but was pressed back into duty after an injury to a reserve middle. Clinging to a 21-19 lead, NJCU scored the final four points, winning on an ace by Moreira.
 
OF NOTE:

• NJCU leads all-time series, 33-0
• Christian Ramirez (West New York, NJ/Memorial) reached double figures in kills for the first time this season and third time in his career. His career high is 15 at Staten Island on February 16, 2017.
• Joseph Stawicki (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) reached double figures in kills for the first time in his career. His previous high was nine kills against Wilkes in five sets on February 25, 2018.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU hosts Ramapo College on Tuesday, February 26 (7 p.m.) in the first-ever home New Jersey Athletic Conference match ever played.
 
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