JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) men's volleyball team continued their dominant run with a 3-0 sweep over Purchase College on Monday, March 17, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC). The Gothic Knights won in straight sets, 25-23, 25-15, 25-13, marking their fifth consecutive victory and their third straight sweep. With this win, NJCU improved to 13-7 overall and 8-1 in Skyline Conference play, while Purchase dropped to 13-12 and 6-4 in conference action.

NJCU outperformed Purchase in virtually every statistical category. The Gothic Knights posted a .262 hitting percentage, while the Panthers struggled with a .111 hitting percentage. NJCU also led in kills (36-29), aces (6-2), blocks (5-4), assists (34-26), and digs (36-30).

Sophomore Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) was the standout performer for NJCU, contributing 15 kills with a .379 hitting percentage, five digs, and a season-high four service aces. Freshman Justin Walker (Paterson, N.J./Paterson Charter) played a key role as well, recording a game-high 62.5% hitting percentage (10 kills on 16 attempts), adding three digs and a block assist. Junior setter Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) posted a double-double with 30 assists and a career-high 11 digs, along with two block assists. He posted his first double-double performance on the season, third of his career. Sophomore Victor De Souza (Newark, N.J./Newark East Side) also made an impact, registering a game-high four blocks, six kills, and a service ace.

For Purchase, senior Channing Williams led the team with 14 kills, seven digs, and two service aces. Ayden Mercado dished out 24 assists and added a team-high eight digs. Udel Phillips contributed five kills, five digs, and three block assists.

The first set saw a competitive back-and-forth battle. Purchase took an early 9-6 lead, but NJCU quickly responded with a 5-0 run, capped off by a kill from Pardasie to give them an 11-9 advantage. After a series of exchanges, Purchase managed to tie the set at 15. The Panthers went on a 6-2 run to take a 20-17 lead, but NJCU remained resilient. With the score tied at 22, errors by Purchase allowed NJCU to regain the lead at 23-22. A kill from freshman Nas Paige followed by a successful attack from Walker, and a final attack error by Purchase, allowed NJCU to secure the first set 25-23.

The second set saw NJCU build a commanding lead after a 10-3 run, which included three kills from Pardasie and two from Walker, giving them a 15-7 advantage. Although Purchase fought back with three consecutive points to reduce the deficit to 15-10, NJCU's lead was never in danger. The Gothic Knights continued to control the set, finishing with a 25-15 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

NJCU dominated in the third set from the start, opening with a 7-1 run that included kills by Walker, Pardasie, and De Souza. Purchase briefly narrowed the gap to 10-6, with kills from three different Panthers, but NJCU quickly responded with a 12-3 run to extend their lead to 22-9. The Gothic Knights maintained their advantage and closed out the set 25-13, securing the sweep and the match victory.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights will return to action on Wednesday, March 19, when they host Yeshiva University at 7:00 p.m. at the JMAC.

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