JERSEY CITY, NJ | The New Jersey City University (NJCU) women's volleyball team stayed perfect on the season with a commanding 3-0 sweep (25-12, 25-20, 25-23) over Pratt Institute on Tuesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics & Fitness Center.

The Gothic Knights (3-0) were sharp from start to finish, hitting .365 as a team, including .375 clips in both the first and third sets. NJCU also dominated from the service line, racking up 12 aces compared to just two by the Cannoneers (0-2). Kai Fitzpatrick (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough High School) led the way with 15 kills, while Diane Pugay (Jersey City, N.J./Infinity Institute) followed closely with 13. Keyanni Overstreet (Port Arthur, Texas/Sabine Pass) was instrumental in the offense, tallying a match-high 18 assists to go along with three aces, also the most in the match.

NJCU set the tone early in the opening frame, racing out to a 5-2 lead behind a pair of aces from Rae Marrero (Medford, NJ/Patchogue Medford). The Gothic Knights then strung together a 9-3 run fueled by Pugay, who slammed down four kills during the stretch. The duo of Pugay and Fitzpatrick finished the job with a 6-2 spurt to close the set comfortably, 25-12.

The Cannoneers showed more fight in the second set, jumping ahead 6-3, but the Gothic Knights quickly wrestled back momentum with back-to-back kills from Fitzpatrick to take an 8-7 lead. The set remained tight until a 19-19 deadlock, when NJCU caught fire again. A decisive 6-1 run, sparked by a pair of Overstreet aces, pushed the Gothic Knights to a 25-20 win and a commanding 2-0 advantage in the match.

NJCU appeared poised to cruise in the third, building a 17-11 cushion thanks to kills from Kiley Jurcisin (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) and Fitzpatrick. Pratt, however, refused to fold, storming back with a 6-1 run that trimmed the deficit to just two and forced an NJCU timeout. Out of the break, the Gothic Knights regrouped quickly and secured the final two points they needed as Taylor Ricco and Munachim Nwobu (Westampton, NJ/Paul VI) sealed the sweep with timely kills, 25-23.

Up Next:
The Gothic Knights return to action on Saturday, September 6, when they host Cairn University at 1:00 p.m. inside the JMAC.

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