Box Score

JERSEY CITY, NJ – Rutgers-Newark sophomore middle blocker Sharee Gordon posted a career-high 14 kills but New Jersey City rallied for a 3-2 New Jersey Athletic Conference victory in the Moore Athletic & Fitness Center.  Game scores were 25-23, 21-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-8.

In the 2-hour, 8-minute marathon, the Scarlet Raiders (5-10, NJAC 0-4) reeled off the first six points of the fourth frame only to see the Gothic Knights (6-13, NJAC 1-3) storm back to level the match and force the decisive fifth game.

A block by Gordon and freshman opposite Adrianna Pagnotta gave Rutgers-Newark a 6-5 lead in the fifth set, but NJCU reeled off the next eight points as junior outside hitter Jade Medley pounded down four straight kills sandwiched by a pair of aces by freshman defensive specialist Jessica Perez to stun the Raiders.

Gordon added four blocking assists to total a team-high 16 points while Pagnotta added nine kills and an assisted block.

Freshman setter-outside hitter Chrissy Campanelli added 11 points on six kills, a team-high four aces and two blocking assists while adding 17 assists and 15 digs.  Freshman setter Emilie Pulecio tallied 25 assists, 20 digs and a pair of aces while freshman libero Kathy Hormaza piled up a career-high 30 digs as Rutgers-Newark registered 98 digs.

Freshmen Christina Maglione and Veronica Chau notched seven kills apiece for the Raiders.  Maglione added a pair of aces, a solo block and a blocking assist to post 10.5 points while Chau came up with 16 digs, an ace and a blocking assist.  Freshman Tabitha Davis chipped in four kills, a solo block and a blocking assist.

For the Gothic Knights, Medley hammered down a match-high 20 kills while adding a solo block and three blocking assists for 22.5 points.  Perez came up with 19 digs while senior libero Cindy Garcia notched a team-high 25 digs as NJCU piled up 88 digs.

Junior setter Madelyn Leon ran the Gothic Knight attack with 46 assists and freshman middle hitter Shege Haxhaj put down 11 kills.  Junior outside hitter Marissa Scarpa had nine kills, two aces and 18 digs for NJCU while junior opposite Ashley Latushko added six kills, a pair of aces, two assisted blocks and two blocking assists.

NJCU snapped a 30-match NJAC losing streak which dated back to a 3-2 win over Kean on September 29, 2009.

Rutgers-Newark visits the College of Staten Island on Saturday at noon for a non-conference match before reentering league play on Tuesday against William Paterson in The Golden Dome.