Montclair, NJ – Senior COURTNEY MATLOCK had 12 kills while senior REBECCA MATASKER and junior MADISON MAUTE each added 11 as third-seeded Montclair State advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 NJAC Volleyball Championship with a four-set win over sixth-seeded Rutgers-Newark on Wednesday.

Sophomore Ashley Griffth collected 47 assists and eight digs as the Red Hawks (24-8) dropped the first set 27-25 before coming back to take the final three 25-21, 25-13 and 27-25. The win moves MSU into Thursday's semifinals where they will face second-seeded Stockton University in Galloway, NJ at 7:00 pm.

It will be a rematch of last year's NJAC Championship Game won by the Ospreys, who took the regular-season meeting between the teams back on September 13 in four sets.

Montclair State, which set a new single-season mark for victories with its 24^th, trailed 22-19 in the opening set before ripping off five in a row, the last two on kills by APRIL DIANGELO for a 24-22 lead. The Scarlet Raiders (15-13) got the next two tying the set but gave the lead back to MSU with a service error. Tabitha Davis and Cassie Luken registered back-to-back kills to put Rutgers-Newark up 26-25. A ball-handling error by MSU gave the visitors the 1-0 set lead.

The second set was up for grabs at 21-21 before Montclair State closed it out with the final four points. NATALIA MAJKUT got things going with a kill and Matlock served up an ace
for a 23-21 lead. Maute and SCHYLER WHITE blocked Luken for the penultimate point and attack error by the Raiders helped MSU square the match with a 25-21 victory.

MSU took control in the third scoring the first five points. LILY SCANZILLO served up a pair of aces and a kill by Maute capped a five-point run extending the lead to 13-4. Matlock recorded two kills in a four points run as the lead grew to 17-5. Maute and Majkut combined on a block making the score 24-13 with Maute giving the Red Hawks a 2-1 lead with a kill on set point.

The back-and-forth returned for the fourth set with Rutgers-Newark a point away from forcing a fifth set. The Raiders led 24-23 after a Montclair service error however White kept the set going with a kill. An attack error gave MSU a chance to take the match but the Red Hawks gave it right back as the set was knotted 25-25. Matasker got a kill on the next serve and the posted her 11^th and final as MSU closed out the match with the 27-25 win.

Majkut and White had eight kills each for Montclair, which got 22 digs from DANIELLE OLCESE and 11 from Scanzillo. Maute had four blocks and Majkut three for the Red Hawks.