The New Jersey City University (NJCU) men’s volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 victory over the University of Mount Saint Vincent (UMSV) on Wednesday, March 5. The Gothic Knights won the match 25-8, 25-11, and 25-19 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center, improving their record to 9-7 overall and 4-1 in Skyline Conference play.
NJCU was led by Victor De Souza, who delivered an outstanding performance, posting a team-high six kills on seven attempts with a .857 hitting percentage. De Souza also contributed two service aces and two digs. Junior setter Alex Casais played a pivotal role with 13 assists and a kill, while sophomore Marcus Pardasie contributed nine digs, five kills, three aces, and two assists.
The Dolphins (3-9, 2-3 Skyline) were led by James Rose, who recorded eight kills, three digs, and two service aces. Matthew Barrancos added 16 assists and three kills, and Carlos Martinez finished with a game-high seven digs.
NJCU dominated from the start. In the first set, the Gothic Knights went on a 19-3 run, and although UMSV briefly cut the deficit, NJCU finished strong with a 5-1 run to win the set 25-8. De Souza was nearly perfect, registering five kills on five attempts and a solo block. Casais added seven assists in the opening set.
The second set saw NJCU maintain control with a 15-9 lead. A timely kill by senior Nate Aguilar helped spark a 10-2 run, and the Gothic Knights clinched a 25-11 victory. Aguilar recorded all four of his kills in this set, leading the team in scoring for the frame.
UMSV put up more resistance in the third set, briefly taking a lead at 8-7. However, a kill from freshman Johan Vaidyan ignited an 8-3 run for NJCU, who regained control at 15-11. Despite two aces by Rose, UMSV could not recover, and NJCU closed the match with a 4-0 run to win the set 25-19 and complete the sweep.
Up Next: The Gothic Knights will travel to Purchase, N.Y. for a tri-match against Purchase and UMSV on Friday, March 7, with matches at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Related topics:
