JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Sept. 27, 2022) – The New Jersey City University volleyball team outlasted Rutgers University-Camden, 15-9, in the decisive fifth set to grab a 3-2 victory in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match here Tuesday night.
 
After trading wins in the first four sets, the Gothic Knights broke to a 4-0 and 7-1 lead in the fifth set and held on to raise their record to 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the NJAC.
 
Rutgers-Camden fell to 6-7 overall and also is 2-2 in conference play. The Scarlet Raptors had won five of their previous six matches entering the night.
 
NJCU won by scores of 23-25, 25-13, 23-25, 26-24 and 15-10. The Gothic Knights' win snapped a 14-match winning streak by Rutgers-Camden over NJCU, with the last NJCU win coming on Oct. 21, 2008 by a 3-0 score in Jersey City (25-9, 25-16 and 25-13).
 
In the opening set, with the score tied at 21, senior setter Brinn Hassan and junior outside hitter Erica Nebrich collected kills to give the Scarlet Raptors a 24-21 lead. After NJCU got a kill from sophomore outside hitter Rachael Pharo, a Gothic Knight attack error gave the Scarlet Raptors a 24-22 lead. NJCU got another point on a Pharo kill, but Rutgers-Camden wrapped up the set with a kill by junior outside hitter Dyamond Free. Nebrich had six kills and Hassan had 13 assists in the opening set.
 
In the second set, NJCU scored seven straight points to break open a 6-6 tie and, although the Scarlet Raptors rallied to within a 14-12 deficit, they couldn't overtake the Gothic Knights.
 
Rutgers-Camden won a close third set, 25-23, taking the lead for good at 24-23 on a kill by freshman defensive specialist/outside hitter Ciera McCrae. NJCU evened the score with a 26-24 win in the fourth set, setting up the final set.
 
Nebrich finished the night with 13 kills, a .324 hitting percentage, 11 digs and three aces to notch her fourth double-double in her last five matches. Free notched 11 kills and junior middle hitter/outside hitter Isabella Choice added 10. Hassan led the way with 36 assists and added nine digs, while senior defensive specialist Haley Novak joined Nebrich for the team lead with 11 digs.
 
Senior outside hitter/right side Paola Toledo paced NJCU with 16 kills, while Pharo had 10 service aces. Junior setter Sydney Lore had 40 assists.
 
The Scarlet Raptors play a non-conference match at Cabrini University at 7 p.m. Thursday.