JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University women's volleyball team hosted their second match of the week tonight, Thursday, Oct. 12, against non-conference opponent Widener. The Gothic Knights battled the Pride but were ultimately defeated in three sets.

NJCU (2-11) opened the first set with back-to-back kills by sophomore outside hitter Marina Millett (Matawan, N.J./Saint John Vianney), but Widener (11-7) evened the score with a kill of their own and a block. The remainder of the first set was controlled by Widener, as they allowed just 11 more points from the Gothic Knights, and they took a 1-0 lead.

In set two, NJCU found themselves down 12-7, but the Green and Gold fought back with a 9-4 run of their own to tie it up at 16, including an ace by freshman outside hitter Kiley Jurcisin (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne). NJCU and Widener went back and forth, and the teams found themselves knotted up at 26 apiece. However, back to back kills by the Pride closed out the second set.

The Gothic Knights were in for another close battle in set number three, leading 16-14 after a kill by freshman middle blocker Brianna Melanson (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) and an ace by sophomore setter Scarlett Torres (Union City, N.J./Jose Marti STEM Academy). An offensive outburst by Widener led to a 6-0 run, and they would close out the set 25-18 and take the match, 3-0.

Junior outsider hitter Brenda Gonzalez (Union City, N.J./Dickinson) led NJCU with 10 kills on the night, and freshman libero Carly Everett (York, Pa./York Catholic) tied a match-high 17 digs.

Up Next:
After hosting back-to-back home matches, the Gothic Knights hit the road for a tri-match on Saturday, Oct. 14, against Misericordia and Messiah University.