MONTCLAIR, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Montclair State University hit .405 as a team, making only 10 errors in the entire match—on attack, serving, receiving, blocking or setting—and cruised past New Jersey City University, 3-0 (25-9, 25-9, 25-14) in the New Jersey Athletic Conference women's volleyball finale for both clubs on October 28.
 
Montclair ups its mark to 22-7, and at 5-3 in the NJAC clinches the fifth seed in the sixth-team conference tournament, winning its third in a row. NJCU dropped to 5-23 (0-8 NJAC) and has dropped 10 straight for the second time this season.
 
Montclair had a 38-20 advantage in kills and at .405 became the third school to hit better than .400 against the Gothic Knights this season. The Red Hawks hit an incredible .556 in the opening set, slamming 15 kills in 27 attempts with no errors. After sliding to .200 in game two (8-4-20), MSU again posted 15 kills in the third set and did so at a .407 percentage (15-4-27).
 
Senior outside hitter Marissa Scarpa (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) led NJCU with six kills and five digs. No other Gothic Knight had more than four winners. Freshman setter Rachel McIntyre (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) had 14 assists.
 
MSU used 15 players and six landed an ace as the Hawks served 13 as a team. Erika Gerner had a match-high seven kills, hitting .357 (7-2-14) with eight digs and four aces. Hayley Merrill hit .545 in one set when she powered home six kills in 11 swings (no errors).
 
Angela Campo dished 31 assists while adding two aces. Three other players—Melissa Terpstra, Courtney LePore and Nikki Senopoulos—had four kills while hitting at least .500, in one or two sets.
 

TEAM STAT COMPARISON
	NJCU	MONTCLAIR
Score:	0	3
Attack Percentage (K-E-TA):	.025 (20-18-81)	.405 (38-8-74)
Kills:	20	38
Assists:	18	36
Service Aces:	1	13
Digs:	22	34
Total Blocks:	2.0	2.0
Points:	23.0	53.0

After NJCU scored the first two points of the opening set, Montclair notched the next seven and gradually opened up a 13-4 lead. Six straight points saw the lead swell to 20-6 before MSU won, 25-9. Leading 8-2 in game two, MSU scored six straight to gain a 14-3 advantage and once again extended the margin to 20-6 before winning by a 25-9 outcome.
 
In the third set, NJCU led early, scoring the first four points and chalked up a 9-5 early advantage. But MSU scored the next five points to claim a 10-9 lead and extended the run to 11-1 for a 16-10 differential. Montclair capped its night by tallying the final five points of the match, clinching the set, 25-14.
 
OF NOTE:

• Montclair State leads the all-time series, 23-8.
• MSU has won the last six meetings (2009-14).
• The match was NJCU's final match outside of Jersey City this season. NJCU concluded the season with a 2-9 road record and a 0-10 neutral mark.
• Medley increased her career totals to 1,101.0 points, 942 kills and 187 blocks (109 solo). She needs 58 more kills in the final five matches of the season to become the fourth Gothic Knight with 1,000 career kills. Sarah Torres (2005-08) with 961 kills is next on the all-time list, just 20 kills away.

 
WHAT'S NEXT?
NJCU hosts Sarah Lawrence College for the second time this season on Thursday, October 30 (7:30 p.m.) on Senior Day. NJCU won the initial meeting on September 27 in Jersey City, 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-15). NJCU will honor its five-woman senior class before the match—Medley and Scarpa along with right side Ashley Latushko (Kearny, NJ/Kearny), middle/outside Indigo Hatcher (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) and defensive specialist Kitrina Oglesby (Ossining, NY/Ossining). NJCU closes the season with a two-day home quad on November 1-2 with CCNY, John Jay and Staten Island.