JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University women's volleyball team made furious rallies late in the third and fourth sets to twice come from behind and defeated the College of Saint Elizabeth, 3-1 by scores of 16-25, 25-10, 28-26, 27-25, in the 2019 season and home opener for NJCU at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court) on August 30. The come-from-behind thriller made new head coach Justin Beaumont a winner in his debut at the helm of his alma mater.
 
NJCU (1-0) trailed 20-15 and 22-17 in the third set and 24-21 in the fourth when it faced three set points, but each time the Gothic Knights battled back. CSE fell in its season opener (0-1). The Eagles had five more kills than NJCU (36-31), but the Knights were far more efficient behind the service line, committing half as many errors as the visitors (18-9).
 
On a day where five freshmen saw action, rookie Katrina Nguyendon (Union, NJ/Union), who came to NJCU as a libero before accepting the challenge of being the team's starting setter, had a spectacular debut. She kept CSE off balance all match, serving seven of NJCU's 14 aces, while dishing 25 assists and eight digs.
 
Senior middle blocker Diana Trochimowicz (Linden, NJ/Linden) hit .333 with eight kills (8-2-18) and sophomore outside hitter Lola Vega added 12 digs and eight kills. Sophomore middle Leah Seickendick (Hoboken, NJ/Hudson Catholic), returning from the 2017 season, hit .300 with five kills. Senior outside Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) finished with 11 digs and four aces while freshman Bella Sunahara (Parker, CO/Legend) was poised in her first match as a collegian, supplying 10 digs at libero.
 
Senior outside Stephanie Mitarotonda had match highs of 14 digs and 10 kills for the Eagles while senior outside Yasmin'na Muhammad (Newark, N.J.) added 10 kills, eight digs and four aces. Sophomore middle hitter Chantel Charles (Elmwood Park, N.J.) finished with five aces and three blocks.
 
After CSE pulled away midway through game one, NJCU led wire-to-wire in the second set, jumping out to a 7-0 lead and a 9-1 margin before dominating.
 
Things looked dire in the third set, with NJCU down, 20-15 and again 22-17. A 5-0 run sparked by the serving of Duque began the comeback, aided by three straight attack errors, as NJCU claimed a 23-22 lead. CSE scored the next two, before a kill by Trochimowicz staved off set point and tied it at 24-24. Once again CSE had set point after scoring the next two for a 26-25 edge. But a kill by Seickendick evened it at 26-26 and Vega found the court on the Knights' second set point opportunity for a 28-26 win.
 
In the fourth set, the Eagles looked like they would force a decisive fifth set, leading 23-18 and had three set points, up 24-21. Once again, the Knights stormed back. Kills by Trochimowicz and freshman outside Xarial Chandler (East Orange, NJ/University) trimmed it to 24-23 and back-to-back aces by Duque put the Knights on top, 25-24. Muhammad tied it with a kill to momentarily stop the bleeding before Vega landed a shot to set up match point, and a bad set sealed it, 28-26.
 

OF NOTE:

• First match of 37th season of NJCU women's volleyball.
• Series: 40th meeting. NJCU leads, 29-11, and has won the last four meetings.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU plays host to the first of three tri-matches this season tomorrow (Saturday, August 31) when it hosts Bryn Athyn and Farmingdale State, beginning at 11 a.m. The two opposing schools will play a neutral court match as the second of the three contests on the day.
 
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