JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team hosted its 2023 regular-season finale on Friday night, April 7, against non-conference opponent Hunter College at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC) on Senior Night. Prior to the match, the Gothic Knights recognized its five senior student-athletes before taking on the Hawks in four extremely hard-fought sets before coming out on top, 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 28-26). Honored before the contest started on Senior Night were graduating student-athletes Daniel Esteva (Union, N.J./Union), Nico Figueroa (Jersey City, N.J./County Prep), Leo Ferrari (Kearny, N.J./Kearny), James Bajor (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) and Brandon DaSilva (Kearny, N.J./Kearny).
 
After the pre-match festivities, Bajor and his teammates got to work as the opposite took charge with a career-high-tying and match-best 24 kills on 49 swings with just six errors (.367), adding 11 digs and a match-high five total blocks for his fourth double-double of the season. Things started out evenly in the first before the Gothic Knights (18-9) used an 8-2 run to take a 12-8 lead over the Hawks (17-6). Later on, leading just 16-15, a 6-2 run put NJCU up 22-17 and the home team eventually had the set at-hand, 25-20. Bajor got started early with six of his kills in the first, while Ferrari dished out 11 of his match-best 50 assists, as well.

Hunter got the early start in the second set, building up a four-point, 7-3 lead right away. NJCU then won five straight points to take an 8-7 lead. However, the Hawks ended up taking control again late, leading 18-14, before Jersey City finished the set on an 11-3 run to win it, 25-15. Bajor had six more kills, while DaSilva had three and rookie outside hitter Victor De Souza (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) had four of his career-high-tying 10 kills, as well. Set number three again was under Hawks' control as the visitors jumped out to several seven-point leaders, including as late as 13-6. NJCU recovered briefly with a 6-0 run to make it a one-point, 13-12 Hunter lead. However, the Hawks stretched it back out to four points and held the Gothic Knights at bay for the remainder, winning 25-21 to force a fourth set.

The final one went to extra points as 25 on one side was not enough. Early on, Hunter held a 7-5 lead before the Green and Gold answered with a 6-1 run to take the 11-8 advantage. The teams traded the lead back and forth several more times before the Hawks were one point away from forcing a fifth set at 24-23. Jersey City then won three of the next four points to make it 26-25 in the home team's favor. Then, tied up at 26-26, DaSilva notched a kill followed by a block, combined with De Souza, to end the Hawks' hopes at a comeback. NJCU won the set, 28-26, and the match, 3-1. Bajor had nine of his kills over this set, while Ferrari dished out 18 assists and DaSilva had three of his four blocks.

Highlights:
- Esteva led all players with a match-best 14digs and was a perfect 19-of-19 on serve-receive.
- Six digs for DaSilva was a career-best mark.
- Ferrari added eight digs and four aces to his assist total. He now has 179 aces on his career, which is second all-time and 21 short of the program record at NJCU.
- Rookie middle blocker Amaru Perales (Harrison, N.J./Harrison) chipped in five kills and four total blocks.
- Figuero finished with 10 digs and was 25-of-26 on serve-receive.

Up Next:
With the regular-season at an end, the Gothic Knights next look to the Skyline Conference Championship Tournament. NJCU, the #3 seed after going 10-4 in conference play, gets another crack at #2-seed Ramapo College. Jersey City faces the Roadrunners for a third time this season on Thursday night, April 13, in Mahwah, N.J., beginning at 7:30 p.m. Should they win, the Gothic Knights would face the winner of the other semifinal match between #1-seed St. Joseph's University-Long Island and #4 seed College of Mount Saint Vincent in the 2023 Championship match, which is scheduled for a TBD time on Saturday, April 15.