JERSEY CITY, N.J. – In a thrilling five-set match at the John J. Moore Athletics & Fitness Center, the New Jersey City University women's volleyball team rallied to take down New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) foes, Rutgers-Camden, 3-2 (25-19, 25-20, 25-14, 25-22, 15-11).
The Gothic Knights (10-10, 2-2) hit .179 as a team with Brenda Gonzalez (Union City, N.J./Dickinson) leading the team with 19 kills. Defensively, she added 18 digs alongside Carly Everett's (York, Pa./York Catholic) 16 digs. At the net, Jaelyn Martinez (Lakewood, Fla./Lake Gibson) tallied a team-high three blocks while Keyanni Overstreet (Port Arthur, Texas/Sabine Pass) set another career-high with 44 assists. Rutgers-Camden (5-15, 2-3) was led by Sofia Granieri, who tallied 14 kills, and Avery Ang's 22 assists.
NJCU surged out to a 7-2 lead early in the opening set with aces by Gonzalez and a kill by Kiki Lugo (Kearny, N.J./Kearny). The Scarlet Raptors responded with a 9-0 run to take an 11-7 lead. Rutgers-Camden held onto the lead until NJCU closed out the set on an 11-2 run sparked by a kill from Taylor Riccio (Nutley, N.J./Paramus Catholic).
Once again, the Gothic Knights found themselves in the driver's seat early, 10-6. Genesis Hibbard (Groesbeck, Texas/Morristown (N.J.)) kept the Scarlet Raptors at bay with an ace, however, Rutgers-Camden bounced back and took a 17-15 lead behind an 8-1 run. The Gothic Knights couldn't regain their momentum despite cutting the lead to two as the Scarlet Raptors took advantage of errors by the Gothic Knights to even the match at one.
Rutgers-Camden capitalized on the second set and used a strong performance to take a 2-1 lead in the match after winning the third set. With the third set tied at 9, Rutgers-Camden exploded for a 9-1 run that put the set out of reach for the Gothic Knights.
Facing elimination, NJCU battled to the end in a back-and-forth affair. With the set tied at 20, Lugo and Gonzalez each recorded a kill to put the Gothic Knights ahead. The Scarlet Raptors threatened, cutting the lead to two, but Lugo forced a fifth set with a kill.
The Gothic Knights didn't get off to a great start in the fifth set, finding themselves behind 7-3. A perfectly called timeout swung momentum in the Gothic Knights' favor as they came out and scored 10 unanswered points to take a 13-7 lead. Once again, the Scarlet Raptors clawed their way back into the set but it wasn't enough as Marina Millet slammed the door on any rally attempt to give the Gothic Knights a crucial NJAC win.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Thursday, October 17 where they will hit the road for a non-conference bout against Cairn at 7:00 p.m.
For the latest news, updates, and information on New Jersey City University sports, visit njcugothicknights.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Gothic Knights news by following NJCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
