Montclair, NJ – Seniors LEAH HIGGINS and CARLY WATERMAN each registered 12 kills as Montclair State swept past Rutgers-Camden in their NJAC opener at the Panzer Athletic Center on Tuesday evening.

Senior DELANEY ST. PIERRE added seven kills, 34 assists, and eight digs as the Red Hawks (2-5, 1-0 NJAC) snapped their three-match losing streak and knocked off the Scarlet Raptors (5-3, 0-1 NJAC) for the sixth consecutive meeting. MSU leads the all-time series, 17-5.

Erica Nebrich had 11 kills and six digs for Rutgers-Camden.

Higgins recorded seven kills in the first set as MSU took a 1-0 lead in the match with a 25-18 victory. Tied at 5-5, Higgins and Waterman each had a kill, and KIARA POLANCO an ace putting Montclair in front by three. The Red Hawks held a two-point lead at 16-14 before scoring four of the next five points. Higgins finished off a set from St. Pierre giving MSU a 20-15 advantage. NADYA ACKERMANIAN got Montclair State to 24-18 before a setting error by the Raptors closed out the set.

Waterman, St. Pierre, and Higgins had three kills apiece in a 25-20 win in the second set. After dropping the first point, the Red Hawks scored four straight and got out to a 9-3 lead forcing a timeout by Rutgers-Camden, who closed within 11-8 after the stoppage. MSU put up four of the next five points with Waterman getting a kill and ace to make the score 15-9. The Raptors pulled within 23-20 on a block by Choice Isabella, but MSU countered with a kill from GIANNA ARIAS followed by a LEAH CHIPMAN ace that ended the set and gave the Red Hawks the 2-0 lead in the match.

In the third, five straight MSU points made the score 9-5 in favor of the Red Hawks early and a kill by Waterman boosted the lead to 15-10. Rutgers-Camden drew within 17-16 on Kaliyah Moss kill and took the lead 21-19 on a Montclair hitting error. Following an MSU timeout, the Red Hawks tied it back but a Choice kill pushed the Raptors in front 22-21. Montclair State evened it up again on the next rally and leaped back into the lead as Waterman finished off a St. Pierre set. Waterman's final kill put MSU at match point, however, Nebrich came through with a kill knotting the set at 24-24. Higgins answered for the Red Hawks setting up match-point #2 which the Red Hawks would get as an attack attempt went over the end line on the final point.

Waterman added 12 digs while Ackermanian chipped in with six kills. VICTORIA TENNON recorded four blocks with libero KATELYN MONAGHAN notching 25 digs, her third consecutive match of 25-plus digs.

Montclair State is back in action on Thursday, September 16 traveling to Purchase, NY to face Manhattanville College at 7:30 pm.