FRANKLIN, MA - The New Jersey City University Gothic Knights men's volleyball team swept their tri-match against King's College and Dean College this afternoon.
Match 1: NJCU 3, King's 0
Recap will be added when stats are available.
Match 2: NJCU 3, Dean 0
NJCU (5-5) hit .329 as a team and tallied 33 kills in the win. Justin Walker (Paterson, N.J./Paterson Charter) led the team with eight kills while Faraz Bhatti (Union, N.J./Union) led the way with 15 assists. Bhattii and Johan Vaidyan (Piscataway, N.J./Saint Joseph) each added a block assist. Defensively, Nas Paige (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) led the team with five digs. Dean (2-8) was led by Nunu Coward-Jackson's five kills. As a team, Dean hit -0.38 with 22 errors.
After trading points to open the match, the Gothic Knights settled in and used a 5-0 run to create separation. With Dean closing the gap, Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) flipped the script and tallied a kill from Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) to put NJCU up 11-6. Another run sparked by Matt Peralta (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) kept the Gothic Knights ahead of Dean, preventing any comeback attempt. Errors continued to plague Dean en route to the Gothic Knights securing a 25-14 win in the opening set.
Dean opened the second set with a 2-0 lead, however, errors knotted the set up at two before Walker ignited a 5-1 run in favor of NJCU to increase their lead to 7-4. Paige and Vaidyan followed up with a kill and service ace to force a timeout by Dean. Out of the timeout, Dean gained momentum and cut the lead down to four with three straight aces by Rayan Echelh. Bhatti helped the Gothic Knights stop the rally by Dean and put NJCU back in the driver's seat with a 5-1 run. Needing just two points to close out the set, the Gothic Knights picked them up via errors by Dean.
Victor De Souza (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) and Walker secured early kills for NJCU in the third set, helping put NJCU ahead early on. Mikey Harte (New York, N.Y./St. John's Preparatory) scored three straight points, one kill, and two aces, to put NJCU up 8-4 before three straight errors by Dean extended that lead. Paige led the charge during a 5-1 run with a kill while Vaidyan and Robert Ayllon (Jersey City, N.J./Union City) capped the run with a kill and an ace. With the lead in hand, the Gothic Knights benefited from errors to close out the match.
FROM HEAD COACH CARLO EDRA
"Coming home with two wins is always a great thing but this Massachusetts trip was more than that. These guys built on their relationships and it translated on the court. We were able to get a lot of guys experience and everyone came through. These were huge wins today!"
Up Next:
The men's volleyball squad returns to action on Tuesday, February 18 when they host NJAC rivals, Rutgers-Newark at 7:00 pm.
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.
