CAMDEN, N.J. (March 18, 2021) – The fourth-seeded Rutgers University-Camden volleyball team had a tough time putting away No. 5 New Jersey City University in the opening set of the New Jersey Athletic Conference quarterfinals here Thursday night.
 
Once the Scarlet Raptors survived that first set, however, they rolled to a three-set victory over the Gothic Knights, 25-23, 25-13 and 25- 14. It was the second time in nine days the Raptors swept the Gothic Knights after recording a 3-0 regular-season victory in Jersey City on March 9.
 
The Scarlet Raptors (3-3) advance to Tuesday's NJAC semifinals, where they will play a 7 p.m. match at top-seeded and defending conference champion Stockton University. NJCU closes its season at 1-5.
 
Rutgers-Camden built a 19-7 lead in the opening set before the Gothic Knights surged back to tie the score at 22-22. The Scarlet Raptors, however, regrouped to capture a narrow 25-23 win, clinching the victory on a kill by freshman outside hitter Erica Nebrich.

 
The second set was tied four times through 8-8 before another kill by Nebrich put the Scarlet Raptors ahead for good. Leading, 10-9, Rutgers-Camden ran off six straight points and, after a pair of NJCU points, scored another six consecutive points to take a 22-11 lead. With a 22-13 lead, the Raptors scored the last three points, sparked by a kill from junior middle hitter Devyn Cobb and ending with back-to-back attack errors by the Gothic Knights.
 
Holding an 8-7 lead in the third set, the Scarlet Raptors scored the next five points. The closest NJCU came after that was 20-15.
 
Cobb and freshman middle hitter/outside hitter Isabella Choice both notched nine kills for the Scarlet Raptors, with Choice hitting .538 and Cobb hitting .263. Nebrich and junior outside hitter Delaney Kolb added seven kills apiece, while freshman outside hitter Dyamond Free had five kills. Nebrich added three block assists, while Choice had two.
 
The Raptors' attack was orchestrated by junior setter Brinn Hassan, who collected 32 assists, four aces and three digs. Her 32 assists hiked her career total to 1,044, moving her into third place on the all-time list past Michelle Dixon (2011-13), who had 1,040. Next on the career list is her sister, Brooke Hassan (2013-15), who had 1,227 assists. Brinn Hassan was honored at Thursday's match (see photo) to celebrate her 1,000th career assist, which came Tuesday at Kean University.
 
Brinn Hassan's four aces, meanwhile, moved her to within one ace of 11th-place Morgan Mulligan (2016-19)  on the career list. Hassan has 105 career aces.
 
Junior libero Morgan Fox continued her climb up the career ladder for digs, notching 19 to hike her total to 720. She jumped into ninth place on the list, passing Cortnee Wilkerson's 703 (2013, 2015-17). She is 14 shy of tying for eighth place with Erin Thompson (2014-16).
 
NJCU received seven kills from freshman middle blocker Taylor-Michelle Coriolanus and 14 assists from freshman setter Sydney Lore.