BRACKET
CENTERVILLE, MA…For the fifth time in the last six years and the second year in a row, the New Jersey City University men's volleyball team will play in a post-season tournament. The Gothic Knights (17-10) have been selected as the No. 2 seed in the 2010 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Championship and will face No. 3 seeded Lehman College (15-11) in the ECAC Semifinals on Saturday, April 17 at 12 p.m.
The winner will challenge the winner of top-seeded and defending ECAC Champion Hunter College (24-11) and fourth-seeded Bard College (15-12), which meet in the other 12 p.m. semifinal, for the 2010 ECAC Championship at 3 p.m. Bard will host all three matches at the Stevenson Gymnasium in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
The ECAC Tournament, which was first played in 2004, will consist of just one region this year. Previously, it featured a North and South field. When combined with the four schools that will compete at the 2010 Molten Division III Men's Volleyball Championship on April 16-17, NJCU is just one of eight schools in the nation that will compete in a post-season championship this year.
NJCU, which has appeared in the tournament in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, is 3-4 all-time in the event. The Knights reached the ECAC Finals in both 2006 and 2007, but have never won the title. Last season, NJCU fell at host Stevenson University in five sets in the semifinal round.
NJCU, which is enjoying its 13th winning season in the 21-year history of the program, will face Lehman for the third time this year. NJCU leads the all-time series, 17-13, and has won 12 of the last 13 meetings, including both during the 2010 regular season.
In the season opener in Bronx, NY on January 21, the Knights swept the Lightning, 3-0 (30-13, 30-12, 31-29). The Knights most recently posted a 3-1 win over Lehman in Jersey City on March 19 (30-25, 30-20, 28-30, 32-30).
If NJCU advances to the finals, it has faced both potential opponents at home this season. NJCU fell to Hunter on February 28 by a 3-1 margin (15-30, 23-30, 30-26, 23-30). On March 9, NJCU swept Bard, 30-25, 30-27, 30-23.
NJCU is led by sophomore opposite AUSTIN BRYANT (Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville), a Second-Team All-North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Metro Division standout, at 3.82 kills and 1.00 blocks per set and freshman outside hitter JOSE MATTA (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Union Hill), a three-time Metro Rookie of the Week,at 3.23 kills per game. Junior libero CHRIS EDRA (Edison, NJ/JP Stevens) has defended 3.27 digs per set.—www.njcugothicknights.com—
