BRACKET
CENTERVILLE, MA…For the fourth time in the last five years, the
New Jersey City University men’s volleyball team will play in a post-season tournament. The Gothic Knights (20-14) have been selected as the No. 3 seed in the 2009 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III South Championship and will face No. 2 seeded and tournament host Stevenson University in the ECAC Semifinals on Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m.
The ECAC Tournament, which was first played in 2004, consists of two regions—the North and South—and a combined seven teams will participate in the two championships. When combined with the four schools that will compete at the 2009 Molten Division III Men's Invitational Volleyball Championship on April 17-18, NJCU is just one of 11 schools in the nation that will compete in a post-season championship this year.
Hunter College (23-16) is the #1 seed and will meet fourth-seeded the College of Mount Saint Vincent (15-13) in the first ECAC Semifinal on April 11 at 12 p.m. at Stevenson, followed by the #2 seeded Mustangs (19-12) and NJCU at 2 p.m. The two winners will play for the 2009 ECAC Division III South title at 4 p.m. Baruch College had originally been selected as the No. 1 seed but withdrew.
NJCU, which previously appeared in the tournament in three consecutive years from 2005-07, is 3-3 all-time in the tournament and reached the ECAC Finals in both 2006 and 2007, but has never won the title. The Knights are appearing in the finals for the first time under the direction of second-year head coach
CARLO EDRA, who was the starting libero on NJCU’s 2005 and 2006 teams and an assistant coach in 2007.
NJCU, which is enjoying its 12th winning season in the 20-year history of the program and its seventh 20-win season, will face Stevenson for the fourth time this year. While NJCU leads the all-time series, 6-5, the Mustangs have won two of three meetings between the schools this year.
On February 7, the Mustangs swept NJCU in Jersey City, NJ during the 15th annual Gothic Knight Invitational, 30-28, 30-25, 30-25. On February 21 in Stevenson, MD, the Mustangs prevailed, 3-1 (25-30, 30-20, 30-23, 30-25).
NJCU exacted revenge on March 13 in the opening match of the York College Tournament. After the Knights were forced to forfeit the first set after arriving late to the match, and only being granted minutes to warm up after stepping off the bus, NJCU reeled off one of its most impressive wins of the season, taking the match in five sets, 3-2 (0-30, 30-27, 30-32, 30-27, 18-16).
If NJCU advances to the finals, it already owns wins over both Hunter and Mount Saint Vincent this year.
On March 5 in New York City, NJCU rallied for an emotional 3-2 upset of the Hawks (25-30, 27-30, 30-21, 34-32, 15-12). Hunter leads the all-time series, 12-11, but NJCU has won six of the last seven meetings.
On February 9 in Dobbs Ferry, NY, the Knights downed CMSV, 3-1 (30-27, 30-21, 24-30, 30-20) in a North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division match. NJCU is 21-19 all-time against the Dolphins.
Before the ECAC Tournament, NJCU will travel to Mahwah, NJ on Wednesday, April 8 at 7 p.m. to meet Ramapo College in a post-season tune-up match for both schools. While Ramapo defeated NJCU in Jersey City on March 11, the Knights have not played since March 23 when they dropped a contest to eventual NECVA champion Stevens Institute of Technology. Ramapo will be hosting this year’s Molten Final Four.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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