JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University jumped out to huge leads in all three sets behind exceptional serving from its three standout rookies and the Gothic Knights improved to 3-1 overall to start a season for the first time since 2016 with a 3-0 sweep of Cairn University—25-22, 25-15, 25-15—on September 5 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
The win was the first-ever for NJCU over Cairn (0-3), including a 3-0 loss to the Highlanders last season. NJCU unleashed 16 total aces in the match and only committed eight service errors. NJCU burst out to a 17-2 lead in game one and 15-3 in game two before fending off late challenges from Cairn in each game. NJCU was never challenged in the third set.
 
Freshman libero Bella Sunahara (Parker, CO/Legend), freshman setter Katrina Nguyendon (Union, NJ/Union) and freshman outside hitter Xarial Chandler (East Orange, NJ/University) combined to uncork 15 of the 16 aces and sophomore outside hitter Lola Vega plastered a match high 11 kills to lead the way.
 
Sunahara dumped seven aces on the Highlanders and defended seven digs. Nguyendon, this weeks' New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week, handed out 18 assists and landed four aces while Chandler hit .556 with five kills and no errors (nine attempts) while chipping in five blocks, four aces and two blocks. 
 
Vega reached double figures in kills for the third consecutive match, hitting .364 (11-3-22). Four different Gothic Knights had at least two blocks.
 
Each team had 24 kills but NJCU committed seven less errors than Cairn (19-12). The top performer for the visitors was junior outside Lyntia Gwess (Wichita, Kan.) with 10 kills and six digs. Sophomore middle hitter Caroline Bennett (Little Silver, N.J.) tallied three solo blocks.
 
NJCU served eight aces in the opening game—six by Sunahara—who was the major catalyst behind a huge 14-0 run that saw the lead swing from 3-2 to 17-2. Cairn didn't quit, landing 12 of its 24 kills in the match in the late first game, hitting .375 in the set, to battle back. It scored five straight to battle within 19-7 and another 6-1 swing to draw to 20-15. NJCU scored the next four to grab a 24-15 lead before a 7-0 run by Cairn, including three kills by Gwess, drew the visitors to 24-22. A service error ended it.
 
NJCU led wire-to-wire in the second and third set. NJCU opened a 20-4 lead in the second game. Cairn scored the next eight points to cut the deficit to 20-12 before NJCU closed out the set by a 10-point margin.
 
 OF NOTE:

• Series: Cairn leads, 4-1.
• NJCU was playing its fourth consecutive home match.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU hits the road on Tuesday, September 10 (7 p.m.) when it faces St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn.
 
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