MAHWAH, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team closed out another successful season today, Saturday, April 16, as the Gothic Knights suffered the four-set (18-25, 25-21, 26-24, 28-26) loss to #4-seed Penn State University-Altoona in the 2022 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship semifinals on the campus of #2-seed Ramapo College. NJCU accomplished much this season and look forward to being back and better than ever in 2023 for another run at the Skyline Conference championship.
History:
For the first time in program history, NJCU (22-10) played in back-to-back conference finals and this season, the Gothic Knights nearly came away with their second championship in two seasons, falling in five hard-fought sets to top-seeded St. Joseph's College-Long Island in the Skyline title match. Additionally, the Green and Gold reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2009, head coach
Carlo Edra's second season in his first stint at the helm of the program. The 22 wins tie for the third-most in program history, and the most since NJCU won that many in 2005. Edra himself picked up his 100th-career victory on the sidelines (he now has 102).
The Match:
As for the match, Jersey City took control early and, tied at 9-9 with the Lions (16-12), flew out to an 11-1 run — including several errors from Penn State Altoona — to take the 19-10 lead. Eventually, the Gothic Knights led 24-13 and looked to be cruising to an easy first-set win. However, PSA began to dig up some momentum and trimmed the lead to 24-18 before NJCU managed to take it 25-18.
Unfortunately, that momentum carried into the second set and Penn State managed to jump ahead with a four-point, 13-9 lead. However, NJCU would not go down easy and went on a mini 6-1 run of its own to take a slim, 15-14 lead. Sophomore outside hitter
Mahmoud Serour (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) notched a couple kills, as did senior setter
Leo Ferrari (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) during this run. The Lions, however, regrouped and took 11 of the final 17 points of the set to even things at 1-1.
PSU grabbed the lead early in the third and forced a NJCU timeout with a 7-2 lead. Coach Edra's words carried weight, though, and the Gothic Knights fought their way back and eventually held the lead. Jersey City had a couple chances to win it, but Altoona managed to take the set in extra points, 26-24, and jump ahead two sets to one.
The fourth and final set was even throughout until late in the game when NJCU started to hold the advantage. Tied at 17, the Green and Gold won three straight points to take a 20-17 lead and needed just five points to force a decisive fifth. Four straight points put the Lions ahead 21-20, but once again the Gothic Knights did not back down and won four of the next six points to earn a set point opportunity at 24-23. They dropped two straight but kills from outside hitters junior
Hanel Collado (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) and senior
Jonathan Andrews (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) put the squad up 26-25. Penn State won the final three points to seal it.
Highlights:
- As a team, Jersey City out-hit the Lions with a .233 swinging percentage (.154 for PSU). However, 15 service errors compared to nine for Penn State was a crucial advantage.
- Andrews led NJCU with 19 kills on 44 swings with five errors (.318) to go with eight digs and three blocks.
- Junior tri-captain middle blocker
Brandon DaSilva (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) also had three blocks to go with 10 kills and three errors on 23 swings (.304).
- Junior tri-captain opposite
James Bajor (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) chipped in 10 kills and 10 digs.
- Ferrari led all players with 45 assists to go with 11 digs, a match-high four aces and a couple of kills.
- Serour had seven kills, while Collado had six. The former also finished with six digs, while the latter notched nine.
