New Jersey City University (NJCU) ended its women’s volleyball season with a loss to Hartwick in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship, falling 3-1. The championship match was held in Madison, New Jersey.
To reach the final, NJCU defeated FDU-Florham in a five-set match at the Ferguson Recreation Center. Kai Fitzpatrick led NJCU with 28 kills and a .278 hitting percentage. Diane Pugay contributed 18 kills, while Rae Marrero recorded 46 assists. Munachim Nwobu had eight block assists and Genesis Hibbard made 26 digs. FDU-Florham’s Tayla O’Connor and Genevieve Fitch each had 15 kills.
The opening set saw FDU-Florham take an early lead before NJCU responded with a run to move ahead. After several exchanges, Fitzpatrick and Pugay secured the first set for NJCU. In the second set, NJCU extended its advantage with strong performances from Nwobu and Pugay.
FDU-Florham took control of the third set and carried that momentum into the fourth to tie the match at two sets apiece. In the deciding fifth set, NJCU established an early lead and maintained it until Pugay closed out the match.
In the ECAC Championship against Hartwick, Fitzpatrick again led NJCU with 28 kills; Pugay added 17 kills and Marrero had 48 assists. Hibbard paced defensively with 22 digs. For Hartwick, Shelby Swartz recorded 21 kills and Braelyn Hornick had 20 digs.
NJCU rallied late in the first set to win it after trailing by four points but dropped three consecutive sets as Hartwick gained momentum through long scoring runs.
NJCU finished its season with a record of 16-10 while Hartwick improved to 23-11 following their championship victory.
For more information on New Jersey City University Athletics, visit https://www.njcugothicknights.com/ or follow their social media channels.
