JERSEY CITY, NJ | The New Jersey City University (NJCU) women's volleyball team opened New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) play with a hard-fought win, defeating Rutgers-Newark, 3-1 (16-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-19), on Tuesday night inside the John J. Moore Athletics & Fitness Center.
The win over the Scarlet Raiders marks the 11th, and second consecutive win, over Rutgers-Newark in program history, moving the all-time record to 11-24. The four-set win was the first-ever win of its kind over Rutgers-Newark.
NJCU (9-1, 1-0 NJAC) bounced back after dropping the opening set to secure its third straight victory. The Gothic Knights hit .239 as a team and registered 55 kills, 10 service aces, and 63 digs. Kai Fitzpatrick (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough High School) led all players with 22 kills, adding eight digs and four service aces for a match-high 26 points. Diane Pugay (Jersey City, N.J./Infinity Institute) followed with 16 kills, seven digs, and three blocks, while Rae Marrero (Medford, NY/Patchogue Medford) directed the offense with 43 assists, four kills, and 10 digs. Jenilsa Pichardo (Union City, N.J./Union City) added 11 digs and three aces, and Elisabeth Brito (Jersey City, N.J./Union City) collected 17 digs. Rutgers-Newark (6-7, 0-1 NJAC) was led by Tracey Ilderis with 13 kills, while Jaedyn Simba-Malasarte and Cyan Long chipped in six apiece.
Rutgers-Newark controlled the first set from the start, jumping out to a 9-3 lead behind Ilderis and Shayla Moody-Santos. Despite late kills from Taylor Riccio (Nutley, N.J./Paramus Catholic) and Pugay, the Scarlet Raiders pulled away, hitting .333 to claim the opener, 25-16.
NJCU responded in the second set with a much cleaner attack, committing just three errors. Fitzpatrick and Pugay combined for nine kills in the frame, while Marrero and Pichardo each added a service ace. Leading 18-17, the Gothic Knights strung together a 5-0 run, capped by a pair of attacking errors by the Scarlet Raiders. Marrero and Pugay ended a 3-0 surge by the Scarlet Raiders to secure the 25-20 win and even the match.
The pivotal third set featured five ties before NJCU seized control late. Fitzpatrick tallied seven kills in the frame, while Marrero served up an ace and contributed nine assists. Trailing by four, NJCU used a 7-0 run to grab hold of the lead by three. Rutgers-Newark cut the lead down to two before Riccio and Fitzpatrick combined for four kills to close out the set and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
In the fourth, Rutgers-Newark came out strong and took a dominating 8-3 lead. NJCU continued to chip away at the lead and eventually gained momentum and went on a 14-2 run to flip the set in their favor. With the lead firmly in hand, NJCU held off Rutgers-Newark to claim the first NJAC win of the season.
Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to non-conference play on Thursday, September 25, when they host St. Joseph's University-Brooklyn at 7:00 pm inside the JMAC.
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