Jersey City, NJ - The No. 4 John Jay men's volleyball team captured a marathon opening set but couldn't sustain the momentum as the top-seed New Jersey City University rallied for a 3-1 victory (28-30, 25-17, 25-15, 25-19) Thursday evening at the John J. Moore Athletics & Fitness Center.
The Bloodhounds conclude the year at 15-13 while the Gothic Knights improve to 19-9 and will take on Baruch for the championship tomorrow evening.
John Jay opened the match with its strongest stretch of the night, edging NJCU in a tightly contested first set that featured 13 ties and multiple lead changes. The Bloodhounds used balanced offense early, with kills from
Nick Fuentes,
Micah Rossman, and
Adam Bainey keeping pace with NJCU's Marcus Pardasie. Trailing late, John Jay responded with key points down the stretch, including a block and attack error forced by the Bloodhounds before Fuentes delivered a late service ace to seal the extended 30-28 victory.
New Jersey City responded immediately in the second set, using a mid-set run to create separation. The Gothic Knights hit a blistering .630 in the frame with 17 kills and no errors, led by Pardasie and Amaru Perales. John Jay briefly cut the deficit behind consecutive points from Fuentes, but NJCU closed strong to even the match at one set apiece, 25-17.
The third set followed a similar script, with NJCU continuing its efficient offensive play. The Gothic Knights posted a .520 hitting percentage while limiting John Jay to eight kills. Perales and Matt Peralta combined for key swings during a decisive run that pushed the lead into double digits. Despite late kills from Rossman and Fuentes, New Jersey City secured the 25-15 set win to take a 2-1 advantage.
John Jay jumped out to an early lead in the fourth set, building a 6-3 cushion behind Fuentes and Bainey. NJCU answered with a sustained run fueled by service pressure and transition offense, flipping the momentum midway through the frame. The Bloodhounds stayed within striking distance following kills from Rossman,
Quez Martin, and
Jimmy Thinlay, but Pardasie and Perales combined for key late points as the Gothic Knights closed out the match, 25-19.
Fuentes paced the Bloodhounds with a match-high 20 kills to go along with nine digs, two aces, and two blocks. Rossman added nine kills, while Bainey chipped in seven kills and a block. Setter
Jimmy Thinlay directed the offense with 44 assists and recorded a double-double with 10 digs.
Logan Ramos contributed nine digs, and Martin added six digs with three kills.
New Jersey City was led by Pardasie's 21 kills and .381 hitting percentage. Perales added 12 kills on .407 hitting, while Peralta recorded nine kills and three blocks. Alex Casais orchestrated the offense with 49 assists, and Anthony Matute anchored the defense with 18 digs. Victor De Souza controlled the net with seven total blocks.
As a team, NJCU outhit John Jay .361 to .180 and finished with 58 kills compared to 52 for the Bloodhounds. The Gothic Knights also held advantages in assists (55-48), digs (49-45), and blocks (11-5).
