Anna 
The New Jersey City University (NJCU) men’s volleyball team delivered a dominant performance on Tuesday, sweeping Manhattanville in straight sets (25-16, 25-12, 25-16) at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center.
NJCU (16-8, 11-2 Skyline) showcased superior offense and defense throughout the match, outmatching Manhattanville (11-13, 9-3 Skyline) in nearly every statistical category. The Gothic Knights posted an impressive .553 hitting percentage (47-76), far surpassing the Valiants’ .153 hitting percentage (28-92). NJCU also outperformed Manhattanville in kills (47-28), aces (4-2), blocks (7-1), assists (43-27), and digs (35-19).
Marcus Pardasie (Paramus, N.J./Cresskill) was the standout player of the match, recording a remarkable .842 hitting percentage (16-19), marking the highest hitting percentage by an outside hitter in the program’s known history. Pardasie contributed 16 kills, eight digs, a service ace, and an assist, making a major impact on both offense and defense.
Alex Casais (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) also had a stellar outing, tallying 28 assists. With this performance, Casais surpassed former teammate Leo Ferrari in career assists (1,719), now holding 1,745 assists and ranking sixth in NJCU program history. Casais also added six digs, two service aces, and two block assists.
Johan Vaidyan (Piscataway, N.J./Saint Joseph) made his mark with a season-high three blocks, two digs, and two kills. Anthony Matute (Passaic, N.J./Passaic Charter) contributed nine digs and two assists, playing a crucial role in the team’s defensive efforts.
For the Valiants, Kyle Simmons led the team with 10 kills, a dig, and a solo block. Mason Moon provided 25 assists and a service ace, while Joe Gandarillas contributed six digs, six kills, and an assist.
The match began with both teams trading points, but NJCU quickly found their rhythm. After trailing 5-4 in the first set, the Gothic Knights went on an 8-2 run, highlighted by a kill from Mike McGehee (Avondale, Ariz./Agua Fria), to take a 12-7 lead. Manhattanville briefly closed the gap to 13-11, but NJCU responded with a dominant 8-1 run, including three kills from Victor DeSouza, to take control of the set and win it 25-16.
In set two, NJCU was never threatened, leading throughout and cruising to a 25-12 victory. The Gothic Knights started strong with a 4-0 run, and a Manhattanville attack error gave NJCU an 18-8 lead. The Gothic Knights finished strong, with their last six points all coming from kills by four different players.
The third set saw NJCU jump out to a commanding 14-4 lead, with five players contributing kills. Although Manhattanville made a brief attempt to fight back, cutting the deficit to 17-7, NJCU held firm. The Gothic Knights reached match point at 24-12, and after a short 4-0 run by the Valiants, the match was sealed when Matt Peralta (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) set Nasir Paige (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson) for the match-winning kill, completing the sweep for NJCU.
Up Next
The Gothic Knights will head to Brooklyn, N.Y. to face St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn in Skyline action on Thursday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Game Highlights
- Marcus Pardasie: 16 kills, .842 hitting percentage, 8 digs
- Alex Casais: 28 assists, 6 digs, 2 aces
- Johan Vaidyan: 3 blocks, 2 digs, 2 kills
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