Jersey City, NJ – The Montclair State University volleyball team surpassed NJCU 3-0 on Thursday night. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Red Hawks (12-3, 2-1 NJAC) set the tone behind a balanced attack, with BREANNA CRAIG and SOFIA DIPROFIO registering early kills. Craig then delivered back-to-back service aces to extend the lead to 13-6, and LUCY CORNELIUS followed with another ace as Montclair State capitalized on a series of Gothic Knight miscues to widen the gap. NJCU responded with several kills to keep the hosts within striking distance, but the Red Hawks closed the set with a strong finishing push. Craig and CAMRYN MUUSS teamed up for a block to make it 21-12, and a kill from BRYN BAUTISTA closed out the opening set, 25-15.
• The second frame was much tighter as NJCU caught fire, recording several kills to bring the home side within 19-14. Montclair answered with consecutive points from Muuss and SOFIA DIPROFIO to regain control at 22–15. A kill and service ace from the Gothic Knights narrowed the gap to 23-17, but the Red Hawks held firm. Craig delivered a key swing from the outside, and Muuss followed with a powerful finish to secure the 25-19 win and a 2-0 match advantage.
• Montclair State's serve and block defense took over in the third set. LUCY CORNELIUS opened with two early service aces, while LILY THOMAS and BRYN BAUTISTA combined for a block to build a 10-6 lead. NJCU struggled to find rhythm, committing 10 attack errors in the frame, as the Red Hawks' front line continued to apply pressure. Craig chipped in two more kills, and Muuss and Cornelius paired for a pair of late blocks to extend the margin into double digits. Cornelius then capped the night with her fourth ace, sealing a 25-14 victory and completing the 3-0 sweep.

INSIDE THE RESULTS

• Craig led the way with seven kills on a .583 hitting percentage, adding three blocks and two aces for 10.5 points.
• DiProfio chipped in five kills (.364) and 1.5 blocks, while Muuss added five kills, three blocks, and an ace.
• Cornelius paced the attack with 19 assists, four service aces, five digs, and two block assists for a well-rounded performance.

FROM THE COURT

"I thought we did a great job tonight limiting our mistakes from the attack line with only seven errors the entire match. We continue to serve aggressively which helped us get NJCU out of their offensive system. We had a good offensive night from Sofia and Breanna. Our block did a great job turning in 14 block assists and forcing attack errors against NJCU. This was a great week going 2-0 in conference play." - Head Coach Eduardo Stawinski

UP NEXT

Montclair State University will host a volleyball tri-match on Saturday, October 4, at the Panzer Athletic Center. The Red Hawks are scheduled to face off against Hunter College at 12:00 PM, followed by a match against Stevens at 4:00 PM.