NEWARK, N.J. (September 13, 2016) – Rowan University topped Rutgers University-Newark in a five-set thriller Tuesday night in The Golden Dome in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) women's volleyball match.
 
The Profs were able to come back from a 2-0 hole to defeat the Scarlet Raiders.
 
Rutgers-Newark falls to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the NJAC, while Rowan improves to 2-6 overall and 1-0 in the league.
 
The set scores were 18-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-21 and 19-17.
 
The Scarlet Raiders were led by junior Karolina Kopacz who recorded her second triple-double of the season with 15 kills, 24 assists and 17 digs.
 
Rutgers-Newark withstood three different match points in the fifth, and even had a chance at one of its own, but a service ace from Rowan's Erin Keegan clinched the victory for the guests.
 
The two teams went punch-for-punch early in the fifth set, with Rowan taking a 6-4 edge after a kill from sophomore Jamie Shirtz. Senior Tabitha Davis picked up a big kill for the Scarlet Raiders to slow the momentum, but a Rowan hammer gave the Profs an 8-6 edge at the switch.
 
A kill from Kopacz and a Rowan attacking error tied the set at eight, but the guests answered with two points to go back on top by two at 10-8.
 
Rowan would extend to a three-point margin (13-10) to force a Newark timeout, but the Raiders clawed back, using a kill from Luken to get within one (13-12), and an error and an ace from senior Kathy Hormaza to tie the score at 14-all.
 
Rowan forced Rutgers to withstand another set point at 15-14, but the Raiders gutted it out again, getting their first chance at the match with the scoreboard showing 16-15 in their favor. A kill from Rowan's Kristin Akin thwarted R-N's chance to close it out, with a hammer from Megan Jacobi and Keegan's ace ending it for the Profs.
 
Rutgers-Newark 25, Rowan 18
The Scarlet Raiders ripped off the first five points of the match and six of the first seven, opening up an 11-5 margin following a combo block from junior Rebecca Ford and Kopacz, and back-to-back kills from Kopacz and sophomore Jess Moy.
 
Following a timeout, Rowan fought within two at 12-10, but a Prof net violation slowed the run and put Newark back up three. Kills from Davis and Moy put R-N back up five (15-10), and the lead moved to six thanks to a kill from sophomore Nicole Polak.
 
Sophomore Jamie Shirtz led Rowan on a run to force a Scarlet Raider timeout with the score showing 17-15 in favor of Rutgers and the two sides traded points before an attacking error and Luken ace made it 22-18 Rutgers-Newark.
 
Rowan did its best to slow the momentum with a timeout, but the Scarlet Raiders cruised to the 25-18 set win punctuated by a Moy hammer.
 
Rutgers-Newark 25, Rowan 21
The two teams traded points to start the second set and were tied at eight after 16 tallies. A 3-0 run for Rutgers-Newark – highlighted by a slick kill from senior Kathy Hormaza – helped the Raiders to an 11-8 edge, and the margin moved to six (14-8) following back-to-back picture-perfect aces from junior Sue Riley.
 
An error and ace from Kopacz gave Rutgers-Newark a 17-9 lead, and after seeing the lead trimmed to four, the Scarlet Raiders ran off three-straight markers to force a Rowan timeout. 
 
Eventually a Prof error brought up set point (24-18), with the hosts locking down the 2-0 lead when Hormaza set Moy for a hammer.
 
Rowan 25, Rutgers-Newark 17
R-N doubled up the Profs early the third (4-2), but Rowan came back with a huge run to take a 15-7 advantage. Three-straight points from the Scarlet Raiders made it a 15-10 set, but it was too little too late as the Profs forced a fourth set via a 25-17 score.
 
Rowan 25, Rutgers-Newark 21
Rowan raced out to a 5-1 lead early in the fourth, pushing the margin to five after 15 points (10-5). After trailing by as many as eight, the Scarlet Raiders got back within four following a Kopacz kill to make it 19-15, but they were unable to get over the hump and Rowan forced a fifth set.
 
Luken and Kopacz each had 15 kills with Davis tallying 11. Kopacz and Riley both had a trio of aces, and Kopacz led the blocking unit with three. Kopacz (24) and Hormaza (21) each eclipsed 20 digs, and Riley tallied 43 digs in a strong effort for Newark.
 
Rutgers-Newark finished the match with 69 points, 54 kills, 10 aces, five blocks, 52 assists and 105 digs. Rowan had 75 points, 65 kills, six aces, four blocks, 61 assists and 110 digs.
 
Rowan hit .164 overall, while Newark hit .139. Senior Erica O'Hagan led the Profs with 19 kills.
 
Rutgers-Newark returns to action Thursday with a non-conference match against Farmingdale State College in The Golden Dome. Opening serve is slated for 7 p.m.