Box Score

Jersey City, NJ (Feb. 14, 2012) – New Jersey City hit .412 as a team, sweeping visiting Purchase on Valentine's Day.

Two-time Skyline Conference Rookie of the Week Besmir Arslani and teammate Kenny Lisk led the Gothic Knights to victory. In the process, NJCU evened its record at .500 on the season.

NJCU won 25-12, 25-15, 25-16 on Tuesday night at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center on “Coach Charlie Brown Court.”
 
NJCU needed just 65 minutes to improve to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the Skyline for its third straight win while the Panthers (1-6, 0-6 Skyline) lose their fourth in a row.  

Arslani reached double figures in kills for the ninth time in 10 matches to open his collegiate career and posted a match-high for kills for the eighth time as the rookie sensation slammed 16 kills for the second consecutive outing. Lisk reached double figures in kills for the first time this season and 29th time in his career and he moved into ninth place in school history by chalking up 10 winners and a .529 percentage with just one error on 17 swings.
  
Middle hitter Blake Borysewicz (FR/Brooklyn, NY) and outside hitter Kevon Kareem Bruce (SR/Hayes, Jamaica) each had an identical attack line of six kills and three errors on 17 attempts for a .176 percentage for Purchase. Setter Alex Billen-Calhoun (JR/Niskayuna, NY) tallied 14 assists in defeat.
 
NJCU never trailed nor were tied in the opening set and hit .400 with 12 winners (12-4-20) while the Panthers were limited to a -.077 rate (3-4-13). In the second set there were four early ties but the Knights never trailed and collected 15 kills in 30 swings (three errors). Purchase countered with seven kills and hit .042 (7-6-24).

Tied at 7-7, NJCU used kills a pair of kills to produce a 13-9 lead. Purchase cut the deficit to two (13-11) before the Knights built a 23-13 advantage by uncorking a 10-2 run and won the game by 10, 25-15.
 
In the final set, NJCU's attack rate was a sizzling .433 with 16 kills (16-3-30).
 
Purchase grabbed its first lead of the night at 4-3 before NJCU gained and maintained a modest lead throughout the early moments of the period. Ahead 14-12, the hosts scored five of the next six points and generated an 8-2 run to claim a 22-14 advantage. The hosts coasted from there.

The Panthers will now return home for a Friday night contest.

-NJCU Sports Information Contributed to this report