CAMDEN, N.J. (Nov. 1, 2022) – The Montclair State University volleyball team rallied from a one-set deficit and went on to defeat Rutgers University-Camden, 3-1, here Tuesday, eliminating the Scarlet Raptors from the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs.
 
After the fourth-seeded Scarlet Raptors won the opening set, 25-22, the fifth-seeded Red Hawks captured the next three sets by scores of 25-13, 25-18 and 25-12.
 
Montclair State (17-12) advanced to Thursday's 7 p.m. NJAC semifinal at top-seeded Rowan University. Rutgers-Camden closes its season at 14-15. One of those wins was an epic five-set victory over the Red Hawks Oct. 11 in Camden, with the final set decided by a 22-20 score.
 
The Scarlet Raptors captured the opening set, building a 20-13 lead, watching the Red Hawks close to within 24-22, and then wrapping up the win with a kill by junior middle hitter/outside hitter Isabella Choice.
 
In the second set, Montclair State took the lead at 9-8 on its way to a 25-13 victory. The Red Hawks led the third set by a 21-18 score before closing out the win on consecutive kills by Leah Higgins, Delaney St. Pierre, Gianna Arias and Carly Waterman.
 
Montclair State opened up an early 10-3 lead in the final set, expanded its lead to 18-8 and closed out the match with a 25-12 victory.
 
The Red Hawks received 18 kills and 13 digs from Higgins, who hit .313. Waterman had 14 kills and Nadya Ackermanian collected 12 kills and 21 digs, while hitting .348. St. Pierre had 37 assists, 15 digs and three aces, while Mia Capriglione had seven blocks, one of them solo.
 
Choice paced the Scarlet Raptors with 12 kills, while adding five blocks (two solo). Junior outside hitter Dyamond Free notched nine kills and had five assisted blocks. Sophomore middle hitter/right side Kaitlyn Parrish notched seven kills and seven blocks, three of them solo.
 
Senior setter Brinn Hassan finished with 28 assists, while freshman libero/defensive specialist Bella Craig collected a team-high 13 digs. A trio of Raptors – senior libero/defensive specialist Morgan Fox, senior defensive specialist Haley Novak and freshman outside hitter Ciera McCrae – had 11 digs apiece. Novak also added two service aces.
 
Hassan ended her brilliant career with a program record 2,769 assists. She finished her senior season with 852 assists, just nine shy of the single-season program mark she set last year. Hassan also had 53 assists twice during the 2022 season, setting a single-match program record.