New York, NY - The John Jay men's volleyball team dropped its season opener match to new conference foe, NJCU, 25-18, 25-20, 26-24 on Thursday at The Doghouse. 

The Gothic Knights (3-0) controlled momentum early in the first set, building an 8-4 cushion with efficient attacking and key blocks that forced John Jay errors. Senior outside hitter Marcus Pardasie paced the NJCU attack with 17 kills and added 10 digs to lead all players, helping maintain consistent pressure on the Bloodhound defense.

John Jay's offense, led by sophomore outside hitter Nick Fuentes' 14 kills, pushed back in the second set, trimming a double-digit deficit to within two at 14-12. However, NJCU responded with a decisive 6-2 stretch midway through the set, mixing aggressive serving with efficient kills from Matt Peralta and Victor De Souza to seal the frame 25-20.

Set three proved the most competitive, as John Jay went ahead 15-10. The Bloodhounds were two points away from taking the set but the visitors rallied on the heels of a a late 4-1 run, capped by a De Souza kill and a block, nudged NJCU ahead 25-22 before a service error made it 25-23. An errant Bloodhound attack clinched the set, and the match, 26-24.

Casais distributed 35 assists and contributed three service aces, enabling contributions from across the NJCU lineup. Defensively, NJCU matched John Jay's team digs at 35 apiece, but the hosts converted key points in pressure situations.

For the Bloodhounds, Fuentes led the offense with a team-high 14 kills, while Adam Bainey added seven kills. Libero Logan Ramos anchored the backcourt with 11 digs, and Micah Rossman chipped in 10 digs and a service ace. Jimmy Thinlay dished 29 assists for John Jay.

The Gothic Knights hit .272 for the night compared to John Jay's .138 team hitting percentage.

The Bloodhounds will be back in action on Monday as they welcome the Purchase College Panthers at 7:00 p.m.