JERSEY CITY, NJ – Pratt men's volleyball saw its five-match winning streak snapped at New Jersey City University Thursday night, falling 3-0 in non-conference play on the Gothic Knights senior night.
New Jersey City hit a scorching .509 on the night, holding the Cannoneers to a .106 attack, including a 25-6 first set win in which the Gothic Knights defense silenced Pratt to a -.385 attack.
The Gothic Knights scored the first nine points of the evening fueled by two Kendall Tribbett kills. After three straight Pratt points, three Daquee Wilcox service aces sparked a 6-0 run that distanced NJCU in its 25-6 rout.
Pratt responded in the two ensuing sets, as a Haven Gordon kill and two kills from David Cutler opened Game 2 with the Cannoneers on top 4-3. Trailing 9-7, a Brandon Ryan kill pulled Pratt to within a point before Wilcox and Ivan Presna kills extended the Gothic Knights lead to 12-8. The hosts led by three or more the remainder of the way, with a 6-1 run capping NJCU's 25-15 second set victory.
The Cannoneers took another early lead at 2-1 on a Matthew Valentine service ace, and a Cutler kill later brought Pratt to within a point a 5-4. Shelden Coure's kill forced a Jason Demas timeout trailing 17-12, but his Cannoneers rallied with a 5-1 run behind two Cutler kills, cutting Pratt's deficit to 18-17.
Down 20-18, three Cutler kills answered only by a Prensa kill tied the set at 21-21. With the game tied at 22-22, kills from Coure and Jalen Sorrell set up a Prensa service ace that held off Pratt's comeback, with NJCU ending its season on a 25-22 Game 3 victory.
Cutler led all players with 17 kills, and Ryan's 19 set assists were also a match best. Andreas Haji-Georgi and Cutler led the Cannoneers with three digs each.
For the Gothic Knights (19-18), Coure paced the attack with 10 kills, while Tribbett handed out 16 assists in the win.
At 9-4, Pratt returns to play on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Cooper Union.
