JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) men's volleyball team split a pair of Skyline Conference matches on Saturday, March 22, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (JMAC). The Gothic Knights started the day with a dominant 3-0 victory over St. Joseph's-Brooklyn, winning 25-17, 25-18, and 25-22. However, they were swept in their second match by St. Joseph's-Long Island, falling 25-16, 25-21, and 25-18.

GAME ONE vs. St. Joseph's-Brooklyn
The Gothic Knights of NJCU (15-8, 10-2 Skyline) put on a dominant display as they triumphed over St. Joseph's Brooklyn Bears (5-13, 3-10 Skyline) in straight sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-22) in a Skyline Conference matchup. NJCU was clearly superior in key statistical categories, outpacing the Bears in kills (45-25), blocks (7-1), and assists (43-24). Despite the defeat, the Bears showed resilience with the edge in aces (8-5) and digs (32-29).

Sophomore Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) was the standout player for the Gothic Knights, leading the team with 14 kills on an exceptional .522 hitting percentage. He also contributed defensively with seven digs, three service aces, and a block assist. Junior setter Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) was another key contributor, tallying 26 assists to orchestrate the offense and adding a dig to his stat line. Freshman Erick Bacuilima (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen) also showed great promise, finishing with six digs and six assists. In addition to the offensive contributions, sophomore Victor DeSouza made a significant impact at the net, collecting three block assists, along with three kills and two digs.

On the other side, St. Joseph's Brooklyn was led by Jeremias Martinez, who had an impressive 16 kills, six service aces, and five digs. Gianfranco Guarraci set up the majority of the Bears' offense, recording 24 assists, while also contributing nine digs and a service ace. Matthew Cottone, the Bears' defensive anchor, registered seven digs.

The match itself unfolded in a series of shifts, beginning in set one, where the Bears initially gained a 2-1 advantage before the Gothic Knights responded with a 6-0 run. That momentum shift came largely from the Bears' mistakes, as they committed four errors during the run. With NJCU up 18-11, the Bears mounted a comeback, fueled by three service aces from Martinez. However, the Gothic Knights didn't falter and closed out the set with a 7-1 run, securing a 25-17 victory.

Set two saw a similar pattern, with the Bears tying the score at 7-7. However, NJCU soon took control, sparked by a kill from Pardasie that ignited a 6-0 run to take a 13-7 lead. Despite a brief surge from the Bears, who narrowed the gap to 21-17, Pardasie's pair of aces and two kills from junior Mike McGehee (Avondale, Ariz./Agua Fria) sealed the 25-18 win for NJCU.

The third and final set started with the Bears claiming an 11-7 lead, but NJCU quickly recovered with a 7-2 run, taking a 14-13 advantage. Freshman Johan Vaidyan (Piscataway, N.J./Saint Joseph) was particularly effective during this stretch, contributing three kills. Although the Bears tied the set at 17-17, NJCU responded with another 5-1 run, gaining a 22-18 lead. The Gothic Knights held firm from there, closing out the match with a 25-22 set win to complete the sweep.

GAME TWO vs. St. Joseph's Long Island
In their matchup against St. Joseph's Long Island (16-6, 14-0 Skyline), the Gothic Knights of NJCU were narrowly defeated in three sets. Despite a strong effort, NJCU was edged in several key statistical categories, including kills (42-41), blocks (5-2), and digs (39-37). Although the Gothic Knights held the advantage in service aces (5-3) and assists (41-37), their offensive struggles, particularly in hitting percentage, ultimately hindered their chances. St. Joseph's Long Island posted a significantly higher hitting percentage of .396 (42-91), while NJCU only managed a .174 (41-109) hitting efficiency.

Pardasie was the standout performer for NJCU, contributing 18 kills, eight digs, two service aces, one assist, and one block assist. Freshman Matt Peralta (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) also delivered a solid showing, recording 11 kills, four digs, and two service aces. Casais played a crucial role in setting up the offense, notching 39 assists while also contributing six digs and one service ace. On the defensive side, DeSouza tallied four kills, three digs, and two block assists, while freshman Anthony Matute (Passaic, N.J./Passaic Charter) added 10 digs to help keep the Golden Eagles' offense in check.

For St. Joseph's Long Island, Luke MacPherson led the charge with 12 kills, posting an impressive .458 hitting percentage, and also recorded nine digs. Logan Meyer added nine kills, five digs, and a service ace to his stat line. Will Kropp was the primary setter, assisting on 36 of the team's kills, while also contributing two kills, two block assists, and two digs. Hank Foglia was another key contributor, leading the team with three block assists and adding seven kills. Chris Saricola provided strong defensive support, recording eight digs and a kill.

The match began with NJCU taking an early 7-4 lead in the first set, but St. Joseph's Long Island responded with a 3-0 run, including two errors from NJCU, to tie the set at seven. The Golden Eagles then went on a dominant 12-1 run, taking control of the set with a commanding 20-10 lead. Despite a late push from NJCU, St. Joseph's Long Island closed out the set 25-16, taking a 1-0 lead in the match.

In set two, the teams exchanged points, with the score tied at seven. A 3-0 run by St. Joseph's Long Island gave them a 10-7 lead, but NJCU fought back to keep the set close. After a kill from senior Nate Aguilar (Kearny, N.J./Kearny) and an attack error from the Golden Eagles, the score was narrowed to 15-14. However, St. Joseph's Long Island regained control with seven kills and a service ace, ultimately winning the set 25-21 and taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

Set three saw both teams battle back and forth, with the score tied at 15. However, St. Joseph's Long Island went on a 4-0 run to take a 19-15 lead. NJCU responded by trimming the deficit to 20-18, but the Golden Eagles finished strong, scoring five straight points to seal the set 25-18 and secure the match victory. Three of the final five points in the set came from NJCU attack errors.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights will return to action on Tuesday, March 25, as they face Manhattanville in a 7:00 p.m. Skyline Conference matchup at the JMAC.

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