NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey City University men's volleyball team, seeded #1 in the 2024 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship, earned a bye into the semifinal round of the tournament. The Gothic Knights opened up play today, Saturday, April 20, at 3:00 p.m. on the campus of #2 seed Rutgers-Newark, as they squared off with #4 seed Ramapo College for the fourth time in a two-week span. After dispatching the Roadrunners with another 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-22, 25-11), NJCU advanced to the championship match, where the Green and Gold eventually met up with the hosting-Scarlet Raiders. There, however, it was Rutgers-Newark that emerged on top in four hard-fought sets (25-23, 25-22, 24-26, 32-30) as the Gothic Knights close out the 2024 season as ECAC Finalists.

ECAC Semifinal #1: NJCU 3, Ramapo 0
The Gothic Knights (22-11, 17-1 Skyline) started off trailing Ramapo (19-12, 14-4 Skyline) 5-3 early on, but fired back with a 9-2 run to go up 12-7. NJCU built that lead up to eight points before closing out the set on a 4-1 run to win it 25-15. The Roadrunner started out the second set fast, as well, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. NJCU trimmed that to a 6-4 deficit before falling behind once again, 9-4. The Gothic Knights used two kills and a block from senior outside hitter Mahmoud Serour (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) and a kill and a block from junior middle blocker Nate Aguilar (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) to tie it up at 9-9.

The teams traded the lead back and forth until Ramapo lead, 14-13. NJCU then went on an 8-2 run to take the 21-16 lead, thanks in part to two kills from Serour and a kill and a block from graduate student opposite James Bajor (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne). The Green and Gold eventually finished out the set, 25-22. There was no questions about it in the third and final set as the Green and Gold jumped out to an 11-4 lead. Then, leading 19-11, the Gothic Knights closed out the set and match with six straight points to take it 25-11 and 3-0 — Bajor had a pair of aces over that final stretch.

Serour led NJCU with 10 kills and just one error on 18 swings (.500 hitting percentage) in this one, adding a couple of blocks and digs. Bajor had seven kills, as well, adding seven digs, two aces and a solo stuff. Sophomore setter Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) dished out a match-best 25 assists to go with six digs, two kills and a block. Fifth year middle blocker Brandon DaSilva (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) notched six kills, three blocks, one ace and a dig. Fifth year libero Nico Figureoa registered a match-best nine digs.

ECAC Championship: Rutgers-Newark 3, NJCU 1
The first set saw NJCU fall behind 4-0 but quickly answer the bell with five in a row against the Scarlet Raiders (16-12, 3-5 CVC), including two kills and a block for DaSilva. Rutgers-Newark responded, though, and jumped out to a 14-8 lead. The teams then traded points until the Scarlet Raiders led, 21-15. The Gothic Knights then went on an 8-3 run to make it a one-point, 24-23, set. However, a service error gave RU-Newark the win. Set number two started off with Rutgers jumping out to a 7-1 lead. NJCU trimmed the gap down to three at 9-6 but the Scarlet Raiders went back up by eight at 15-7 in response. The Gothic Knights hung tight, though, and continued to chip away until they tied it up at 20-20 and then again at 21-21. However, Newark closed out the set by winning four of the last five points to go up 2-0 in the match.

The third was close to start and NJCU trailed by just one at 9-8 before Rutgers looked to be headed for a sweep, using a 6-0 run to go up 15-8. Once again, the teams traded back and fourth until the Scarlet Raiders led, 19-13. The Green and Gold then went on a 7-1 run and it was all tied up at 20-20. Trailing by two at 22-20, NJCU closed out the set strong with a 6-2 run to win it 26-24 and make it a 2-1 match. The fourth set saw the Gothic Knights lead 4-2 early on and then each squad went back and forth until NJCU was up 7-5. Rutgers then scored three straight to take the 8-7 lead. A kill and a couple of blocks for DaSilva followed and NJCU was back on top, 10-8. Rutgers-Newark responded with a 7-3 run to lead, 15-13. Trailing 17-15, NJCU scored three in a row, including kills from Bajor and rookie outside hitter Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill), to take another lead, 18-17.

Trailing once again, 21-19, NJCU came back to take another lead, 22-21 on three errors by the Scarlet Raiders, but Rutgers managed to get back on top, 23-22. The Gothic Knights worked to a set point at 24-23 and looked to force a fifth set, but Newark again answered to take a 25-24 lead. The teams traded back and forth until NJCU led 30-29, however Rutgers closed out the set and match with three in a row to take it 32-30 and 3-0, respectively, winning the ECAC Championship.

DaSilva, sophomore middle blocker Amaru Perals, Pardasie and Bajor all had eight kills in the match — DaSilva also had eight blocks, while Serour had five. Casais finished with 16 assists and three blocks, while sophomore setter Erik Narvaez (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) had 12 helpers. Bajor led NJCU with seven digs, while Figueroa had six.

History:
- 22 victories ties for the third-most in program history, as well as ties for the most under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Carlo Edra.
- DaSilva finishes his career third all-time at NJCU in assisted blocks (280) and fourth in total blocks (353). He is also seventh all-time in blocks per set (1.04) and ninth in points (1,077.0). His 1.13 blocks per set this season rank fifth in NJCU's single-season record book.
- Bajor finished his career eighth all-time in aces (116) and 10th in aces per set (0.36). This season he had 0.58 aces per set, which ranks third in the single-season record book. Pardasie is now tied for sixth on that same list (0.50 aces/set).
- Casais finished the season with 9.00 assists per set, which ranks ninth in the single-season record book.
- Serour finished with a .968 serve-receive percentage, which ranks 10th in the single-season record book.