JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The New Jersey City University (NJCU) men's volleyball team delivered a commanding 3-0 sweep over Old Westbury on Monday, March 31, at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center. The Gothic Knights took all three sets in dominant fashion, winning 25-10, 25-9, and 25-10. This victory marked the team's 20th win of the season, making it the program's 10th 20-win season. Furthermore, it represents the third 20-win season in the past four years and the fourth overall under head coach Carlo Edra.

NJCU (20-8, 15-2 Skyline) controlled every aspect of the match from start to finish. The team's offense was firing on all cylinders, as the Gothic Knights finished the match with a remarkable .380 hitting percentage, converting 16 of their 37 attempts into kills. This starkly contrasted Old Westbury's offensive struggles, as the Panthers (6-17, 4-13 Skyline) were unable to find their rhythm and finished with a negative hitting percentage. NJCU's superior performance was evident across the board, as they outpaced Old Westbury in every key statistical category: kills (39-12), aces (12-0), blocks (6-3), assists (33-11), and digs (35-28).

Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) was a standout performer for NJCU, finishing the match with 13 kills at a sizzling .591 hitting percentage. In addition to his offensive prowess, Pardasie also contributed seven digs, one block, and one assist. Victor DeSouza also played a key role in the win, posting nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage. DeSouza's performance extended beyond just his attacking game, as he contributed three service aces, two blocks, and one assist. Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) was instrumental in setting up the offense, recording 30 assists in the match with seven digs and four service aces.

The defensive efforts of Matt Peralta (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) and Anthony Matute (Passaic, N.J./Passaic Charter) were crucial to the team's victory. Peralta posted his first double-digit digs performance of the season, totaling 10 digs, and added eight kills, two blocks, and three service aces, tying his season-high. Matute also contributed defensively, finishing with 10 digs. Johan Vaidyan (Piscataway, N.J./Saint Joseph) added a strong presence at the net, registering a game-high four blocks.

For Old Westbury, Yevhenii Reutskyi led the Panthers with four kills, two digs, and a block, while Liam Eisel also contributed four kills, four digs, and two blocks. Jose Lorenzo Santos had a strong defensive showing, collecting a game-high 12 digs.

The match unfolded with NJCU setting the tone early. In the first set, the score was 9-8, in favor of the Gothic Knights, but a kill by Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) sparked a dominant 16-2 run that propelled NJCU to a 25-10 victory. Pardasie led the charge with five kills in the opening set, while DeSouza and Peralta each contributed four. Matthew McSorley (Colonia, NJ/Colonia) also added two kills.

In the second set, NJCU continued its dominance, racing out to a 15-2 lead, with Vaidyan providing three kills during the run. Old Westbury managed to chip away at the deficit and closed the gap to 16-5, but NJCU quickly reasserted control with a 6-1 run. Peralta played a key role in this stretch, registering three consecutive service aces, which pushed the lead to 22-6. Two service errors by Old Westbury, combined with a kill from DeSouza, wrapped up the second set for NJCU, 25-9.

The third set was more of the same for NJCU, as they began with an 8-2 run fueled by four kills from Pardasie. Old Westbury briefly fought back, cutting the deficit to 10-4, but NJCU quickly responded with another dominant 9-2 stretch. This included kills by Pardasie, DeSouza, and McSorley, along with two service aces from Casais. Old Westbury did manage to string together two consecutive points to make it 19-10, but NJCU responded with five straight points, with McSorley finishing the match with a kill to seal the 25-10 victory and the three-set sweep.

UP NEXT:
The Gothic Knights prepare for their final regular season match in the Skyline Conference against Ramapo on Wednesday, April 2, at 7:00 p.m.

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