CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 11, 2022) – Senior setter Brinn Hassan set a single-match program record with 53 assists, helping the Rutgers University-Camden volleyball team outlast Montclair State University, 3-2, in a marathon New Jersey Athletic Conference battle here Tuesday night.
 
Rutgers-Camden won by scores of 25-23, 23-25, 10-25, 25-22 and 22-20.
 
The victory lifts the Scarlet Raptors to 4-2 in the NJAC and 9-9 overall. Montclair State falls to 9-10 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
 
Hassan's 53 assists broke the overall program record of 52, set by Julie Lo in a four-set match against Rowan University on Oct. 3, 2006. It also broke the five-set program record of 51 assists, set by Stephanie Miller against William Paterson University on Oct. 12, 2010.
 
The two teams traded 25-23 victories in the first two sets before Montclair State took the lead with a 25-10 win in the third set. In a tight fourth set, the Scarlet Raptors opened up an 18-13 lead, saw their margin closed to 24-22, and earned the set-clinching point on a kill by sophomore middle hitter/right side Kaitlyn Parrish. Hassan assisted on the play.
 
With the sets even at two apiece, it set the stage for a marathon fifth set. Montclair State took an 11-6 lead before the Scarlet Raptors rattled off the next seven points to surge ahead, 13-11. The run included two kills by junior outside hitter Dyamond Free, one kill apiece by Hassan and junior middle hitter/outside hitter Isabella Choice, a service ace by freshman libero/defensive specialist Bella Craig and a pair of Red Hawk errors.
 
Montclair State forced ties at 14-14, 15-15, 16-16 and 17-17 before taking leads at 18-17 and 19-18. The Raptors tied it both times, once on a Red Hawk attack error and once on a kill by Choice. Another kill by Choice gave the Scarlet Raptors a 20-19 lead before Montclair State tied the set again on a kill by outside hitter Leah Higgins.
 
With the score deadlocked at 20-20, the Scarlet Raptors finally wrapped up the marathon on back-to-back kills by Choice and junior outside hitter/right side Erica Nebrich.
 
Rutgers-Camden produced four players with double-digit kills in the match, led by Choice with 16. Free collected 14, Nebrich had 13 and Parrish added 11. Nebrich added a double—double with a match-high 26 digs, while senior libero Morgan Fox notched 17 digs, senior defensive specialist Haley Novak had 14 and Craig collected 12.
 
In addition to her record-setting 53 assists, Hassan added eight digs and one kill, while freshman defensive specialist/outside hitter Ciera McCrae had eight digs, five kills and two service aces, along with four block assists. Parrish also had four block assists, while Choice added three blocks (one solo, two assisted) and three service aces.
 
Nebrich and Novak joined McCrae with two service aces apiece.
 
The Scarlet Raptors return to NJAC action Thursday with a 7 p.m. match at Kean University.