WAYNE, N.J. — The New Jersey City University (NJCU) women's volleyball team was unable to overcome a strong offensive performance from William Paterson University, falling in straight sets (25–14, 25–17, 25–15) in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action on Thursday, Oct. 23, at the Sports and Recreation Center.

The Gothic Knights (12–5, 2–4 NJAC) struggled to find their rhythm offensively, finishing with a hitting percentage below .000, while the Pioneers (13–9, 3–3 NJAC) attacked efficiently at a .260 clip. William Paterson held the advantage across nearly every statistical category — points (49–29), kills (39–23), blocks (7–3), assists (36–23), and digs (53–47). Both sides finished with three service aces.

First-year standout Kai Fitzpatrick (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough High School) once again led the Green and Gold, producing a match-best 14 kills to go along with eight digs and two solo blocks. Senior Brianna Melanson (South Brunswick, N.J./South Brunswick) joined Fitzpatrick as the only NJCU player to hit above .050, while sophomore setter Rae Marrero (Medford, NY/Patchogue Medford) tallied 21 assists, nine digs, and a service ace.
On the defensive end, Genesis Hibbard (Groesbeck, Texas/Morristown (N.J.)) anchored the back row with a career-high 14 digs, and junior Elisabeth Brito (Jersey City, N.J./Union City) added nine digs and an ace of her own.

For the Pioneers, Cecilia Miller paced the attack with nine kills and four digs. Sofia Zablackis was dominant at the net, hitting .625 with five kills and three total blocks. Setter Abby Houpt efficiently ran the offense with 24 assists, adding seven digs and two block assists. Laura Gruener controlled the front line with four total blocks, while Bella Demers led all players with 15 digs and contributed four assists and two service aces.

William Paterson came out aggressive, using kills from four different attackers to build a 10–5 lead early. NJCU capitalized on several Pioneer miscues — including a service error and two attack errors — to mount a 4–0 run and close within one at 10–9. However, the Pioneers quickly regrouped, stringing together a 5–0 surge to re-establish control at 15–9. William Paterson ended the set with five straight points, taking it 25–14.

The second set opened evenly at 4–4 before the Pioneers broke through with a decisive 13–5 run to go ahead 17–9. NJCU's offense finally found momentum midway through the frame, beginning with a Fitzpatrick kill that ignited a 5–0 rally to make it 17–14. The Gothic Knights continued to battle, as back-to-back kills from Fitzpatrick trimmed the deficit to two at 18–16. But the Pioneers once again found their rhythm at the net, producing four consecutive kills to surge ahead 22–16 and close the set 25–17.

Determined to extend the match, NJCU opened the third set strong. Fitzpatrick led the charge with four early kills, helping the Knights grab an 8–5 advantage. The Pioneers, however, responded immediately, piecing together a dominant 13–2 run to flip the score to 18–10. The Gothic Knights chipped away, but William Paterson's front line proved too strong. The hosts sealed the match with a 25–15 third-set victory.

UP NEXT:
NJCU returns to action on Tuesday, Oct. 28, traveling to Union, N.J., for another NJAC matchup against Kean University. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.