JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | New Jersey City University won the second set before Rutgers University-Camden got strong performances in the third and fourth games to take the final New Jersey Athletic Conference women's volleyball match of the 2018 season, 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-12, 25-11) on October 23 at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center (Coach Charlie Brown Court).
 
Camden (10-16, 1-7 NJAC) got its first NJAC win of the season thanks to a monster night on attack. The Raptors pounded 60 kills in four games, including 17 kills apiece in the third and fourth games and hit .339 for the night (60-17-127).
 
NJCU (10-17, 0-8 NJAC) had a good night on attack, finishing with 34 kills, but couldn't match the offense generated by Rutgers-Camden.
 
In defeat, senior outside hitter Amber O'Donnell (East Newark, NJ/Harrison), yesterday named NJAC Defense Player of the Week, posted 11 kills (.178, 11-3-45), with six digs and two blocks and senior setter Shaylah Ware (Newark, NJ/Science Park) dished 27 assists, nine digs and hit .714 with five kills in seven attempts.
 
Three players reached double figures in kills for Camden. Junior outside Jamie Mulligan (New Gretna, Pa.) had 12 kills and hit .417 (12-2-24) while freshman outside Delaney Kolb (York, Pa.) hit .391 with 12 kills (12-3-23). Junior outside Jordan Erskine (Barnegat, N.J.) played the final two sets only, yet made a huge impact, landing 10 kills in 16 swings for a .500 attack rate (two errors).
 
Freshman setter Kayla Benesz (East Brunswick, N.J.) had 27 assists and seven digs and freshman setter Brinn Hassan (Williamstown, N.J.) contributed 22 assists and seven digs. Sophomore libero Ashley Newman (Collegeville, Pa.) defended 24 digs. Also contributing was junior outside Jamie Mulligan (New Gretna, Pa.) with nine kills and four aces. Freshman middle Ava D'Ambrosio (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) hit .538 with seven kills and a .538 percentage (7-0-13) and senior middle Myiah Gatling (Woolwich Township, N.J.) hit .357 with seven kills.
 
For NJCU, senior libero Georgina Rayo (Jersey City, NJ/McNair Academic) dished 19 digs. Junior outside Stephanie Duque (West New York, NJ/Memorial) finished with eight kills, five service aces and three blocks and junior opposite Pamela Florimon (Teaneck, NJ/Memorial) put away seven kills.
 
The teams traded 10 ties in game one when Camden had a 15-9 margin in kills. NJCU led 17-16 before RUC scored the next four points, aided by three Knight errors for a 20-17 edge. NJCU scored the next two points (20-19) before Camden uncorked the final five points to clinch the game as three separate players had kills during the tear.
 
NJCU's attack came alive in game two, hitting .345 with 13 kills (13-3-29) and that was key in a set with eight ties and six lead changes. NJCU trailed 16-11 before a 9-1 outburst took the Knights into the lead. Duque unleashed three consecutive aces to start the run. Another ace by Ware made it 20-17. A kill by Florimon (21-19) and a block by senior middle Naiomi Cintron (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) and O'Donnell (22-19), followed by kills from O'Donnell and Duque provided the separation.
 
However in the third and fourth sets, the Raptors posted high percentages and sideout rates—a .429 percentage (17-2-35) and a 76 percent sideout (10-13) in the third set and a .414 attack in game four (17-5-29) and a stellar 90 percent sideout rate (10-11). Camden jumped out to an 11-3 lead in game three and led 7-3 in the fourth set as Erskine produced four kills during a 6-0 spurt.
 
OF NOTE:

• Series: 25th meeting. NJCU leads, 15-10. RU-Camden has won the last 10 meetings.
• O'Donnell reached double figures in kills for the 18th time in her career and ninth time this season.
• Rayo reached double-digit digs for the 16th time in 2018 and 31st time in her three-year career.

 
UP NEXT:
NJCU will play its final match of the season when it hosts SUNY Old Westbury (5-14) on Wednesday, October 24 (7 p.m.). Prior to the match, NJCU will honor its four-woman senior class: Cintron, O'Donnell, Rayo and Ware.
 
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