WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team (5-5) set off for their first road tri-match of 2020 on Saturday, February 22 at King's College. The Gothic Knights stayed right at .500, thanks to a tri-match split, falling to host King's College (Pa.), 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 27-25, 25-17) before bouncing back in the second half of the tri-match to defeat Neumann University, 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 28-26).
 
The Gothic Knights rotated their squad throughout the day, with junior outside hitter Jonathan Andrews (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) dominating the first match to the tune of a career-high 22 kills and 12 digs, while freshmen Martin Chromulak (Garfield, NJ/Garfield) and James Bajor (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) took over in their win over Neumann, sporting 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Bajor reached double figures in kills for the first time as a collegian and did so in both matches.
 
MATCH 1: King's 3, NJCU 1 (25-20, 20-25, 27-25, 25-17)
In the Knights' first match of the day, they were able to split the first two sets with King's, lost a third set that went to extra points before falling in four.
 
Andrews produced his third career double-double with 22 kills (.191) and 12 digs and sophomore setter Leo Ferrari (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) handed out a career-high 52 assists with 12 digs for his second career double-double. Freshman outside James Bajor (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) had a breakout effort with 10 kills (.250, 10-4-24). Senior libero J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) defended 12 digs. Freshman middle blocker Brandon DaSilva (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) added nine kills and three blocks.
 
Freshman Joe Herman (Whitehall, Pa.) had 20 kills for King's and nine digs while freshman Sam Capwell (Bethlehem, Pa.) hit an impressive .550 with 12 winners (12-1-20) and eight blocks. Freshman setter George Beck (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) had 34 assists and three blocks. Senior libero Kyle Duggan (Plainfield, N.J.) and sophomore Joe Jones, Jr. contributed defensively with 13 and 11 digs, respectively.
 
The Monarchs (11-4) got out to the faster start on Saturday, taking an early 8-3 lead and leading by as much as 14-6 midway through the first set. NJCU was able to claw back to within four at multiple points, but could never get closer than that, falling by a score of 25-20 in the first game.
 
In the second game, it was the Knights who took the early (and slight) edge, and that foretold how the game would play out. Andrews had his best set, and despite King's holding a slight 16-15 edge midway through the game, NJCU took 10 of the 14 points to even things up at 1-1, thanks to a 25-20 set two final.
 
In the decisive third, King's started hot; NJCU countered well, thanks in part to Andrews and Bajor, with the two teams ending up quite even midway through the set. The Knights consistently held the lead, however, as late and as large as 20-17. They had set point at 24-22, but the Monarchs, to their credit, flipped the switch, rattling off three straight to take the lead, and closing out the set three points later on an NJCU error to take the swing set, 27-25.
 
The Monarchs rode that momentum to an early lead in the fourth, but the Knights quickly evened things up at 9-9. A 5-0 run after the two teams were tied at 11-11 proved decisive for King's College, however, who took the fourth set to end the match right there.
 

MATCH 3: NJCU 3, Neumann 0 (25-14, 25-16, 28-26) 
In the Knights' second match of the day, they didn't waste any time, dispatching the Neumann University Knights (3-12) in three sets. 
 
NJCU used a lineup of all freshmen and sophomores and they delivered. Chromulak led the way with 12 kills (.259, 12-5-27), eight digs, seven aces and three blocks. Bajor hit .375 with 10 more kills (10-1-24), five digs, three blocks and two aces. Freshman middle Ivan Alberti (West New York, NJ/Memorial) hit .417 with six kills (6-1-12) and five blocks and sophomore setter Aaron Mantilla (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) handed out 34 assists with nine digs. NJCU held a 39-20 differential in kills and produced 12 aces and eight blocks as a team.
 
Sophomore middle Conner Kolek (Bear, Del.) was Neumann's top performer with 15 digs and six kills (.333).
 
It was a sloppy game from Neumann, and NJCU took advantage, dominating across the board and successfully getting playing time to most of the younger squad in a sweep.
 
In the first game, NJCU took a massive 17-8 lead, without Andrews, and held on down the stretch, winning on a kill from Alberti, 25-14.
 
In the second game, it was seven straight points early in the game that set NJCU up for success, going ahead 12-5 and never looking back. Bajor and Alberti had strong sets again.
 
In the third and final set, Neumann presented more of a united front, stealing five straight points mid-set to get to within two of NJCU. The two teams were tied at 24-24, 25-25 and 26-26 before a Neumann error, and a kill from Bajor locked in the sweep for NJCU.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series vs. King's: This was the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
• Series vs. Neumann: This was only the second-ever meeting between the two, having played for the first time last season. NJCU has now won both matchups, 3-0.
• Jonathan Andrews (North Bergen, NJ/North Bergen) reached double-digit kills for the sixth time in 2020, and the 14th time in his NJCU career. His previous career high was 18 kills on February 15 against Wilkes.
• Freshman James Bajor (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) reached double-digit kills in both matches, representing the first and second ever times doing so in an NJCU uniform.
• Martin Chromulak (Garfield, NJ/Garfield) reached double-digit kills for the fourth time in his NJCU career.
• Leo Ferrari (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) reached double-digit digs for the second time this year and fourth time in his NJCU career.
• J.J. Berdecia (West New York, NJ/Memorial) reached double-digit digs for the second time this year and 16th time in his NJCU career.

 
UP NEXT:
 

• NJCU faces No. 6 nationally ranked Rutgers-Newark (11-0, 3-0 NJAC) on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match.

 
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