CAMDEN, N.J. (Oct. 1, 2024) – The Rutgers University-Camden volleyball team staged a big-time comeback and, as a result, the Scarlet Raptors accomplished something that had never happened in the history of the program.
 
Rutgers-Camden outlasted Rutgers-Newark, 3-2 (25-19, 15-25, 16-25, 25-19 and 15-10) in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match here Tuesday night. With the win, the Scarlet Raptors raised their record to 2-0 in the NJAC for the first time ever. The program started NJAC play in 2002.
 
Rutgers-Camden improved to 5-11 overall with its fourth straight win in its all-time series against Rutgers-Newark. The Scarlet Raiders fell to 6-10 overall and 0-2 in the NJAC.
 
Rutgers-Camden swept Rutgers-Newark in straight sets during each of the previous three seasons.
 
In the opening set, the Scarlet Raptors broke a 4-4 tie on a kill by junior middle blocker/right side Jessica Weimer and went on to open up a 14-7 lead before the Scarlet Raiders closed to within 16-12. With Rutgers-Camden leading, 20-15, freshman middle blocker Gabby Gbolahan collected two straight kills and freshman outside hitter/right side Maria Theruviparambil added another kill to push the Raptors to a 23-15 lead. After Newark closed its gap to 23-19, Rutgers-Camden closed out the match with a kill by Weimer and a service ace by Theruviparambil.
 
Theruviparambil had five kills in the set, while junior setter Avery Ang and sophomore setter JoAnna Andrews collected eight and six assists, respectively.
 
Rutgers-Camden won the first two points of the second set, but Newark had early runs of four and five points to on its way to building a 15-9 lead. The Scarlet Raiders closed out the match by scoring seven of the last nine points for a 25-15 win.
 
Newark took a quick 12-8 lead in the third set on its way to a 25-16 victory.
 
In the fourth set, senior middle hitter/right side Kaitlyn Parrish broke a 9-9 tie with a kill, assisted by Andrews, and Theruviparambil collected three kills the rest of the way as Rutgers-Camden hung on for a 25-19 victory.
 
Rutgers-Newark took an early 7-3 lead in the decisive fifth set before a service error and three attack errors by the Scarlet Raiders knotted the score at 7-7. A kill by Theruviparambil gave the Scarlet Raptors the lead for good at 8-7. After an exchange of points, the Raptors rattled off four straight points on two kills apiece by Theruviparambil and sophomore middle hitter/right side Mia Francis.
 
Newark cut the gap to 13-10 before a kill by Gbolahan and a service ace by Ang wrapped up the victory.
 
Theruviparambil finished with 18 kills and hit .394, while Gbolahan had 15 kills and hit .429. Andrews and Ang led the way with 23 and 20 assists, respectively, while Owens had 24 digs and sophomore outside hitter/right side Sofia Granieri had 10 digs.
 
Ang and Granieri both had two service aces. Parrish finished with six blocks (five assisted) and Francis had four block assists.
 
Rutgers-Camden plays another NJAC match at Kean University Thursday, beginning at 7 p.m.