Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State University volleyball team hits the road Tuesday, September 23rd for a Route 46 showdown at William Paterson in their first NJAC game of the season.

GAME INFO
The match in the WPU Rec Center is set for 7:00 p.m. Live coverage of the match can be found at montclairathletics.com.

LAST TIME OUT
Montclair hosted its fourth tri-match of the season this past Saturday, where they took 3-1 victories against Saint Elizabeth and Merchant Marine. After jumping out to a 5-3 lead, Montclair took control with a 12-2 run to build a commanding 17-5 advantage. Five different Red Hawks registered kills during the stretch, led by three from BRYN BAUTISTA. The Red Hawks never looked back, cruising to a 25-9 opening-set win while hitting .423 with 14 kills. The second set was tightly contested early before Montclair used a 7-1 run, highlighted by three kills from KASEY TRZASKA, to go up 12-5. Saint Elizabeth responded with five straight points to pull within two, and the teams traded points up to 17-15. Four consecutive Montclair points pushed the margin to 21-15, but the Eagles roared back with an 8-2 run to tie things at 23. After the teams exchanged points to force extra play at 25-25, Saint Elizabeth closed it out with a kill and service ace to take the set, 27-25. Montclair answered in set three with a dominant start, scoring 10 straight points behind two kills and two aces from Bautista. The Red Hawks built a 21-5 lead, but Saint Elizabeth fought back, winning 10 of the next 13 points to close the gap to 24-15. A service error ended the comeback bid as Montclair secured a 25-15 win. The fourth set was even at 10-10 before a LILY THOMAS kill sparked a decisive 12-1 run that put Montclair ahead 22-11. The Eagles added one more point before the Red Hawks closed on a 3-0 run, capped by two kills from CAMRYN MUUSS and an ace from EMMA HATCHER, to clinch the match.
 
The opening set was tight early, with Merchant Marine holding a slim 8-7 lead before reeling off eight straight points to go ahead 16-7. SOFIA DIPROFIO helped Montclair claw back with three points, and the Red Hawks later cut the deficit to 20-17 on a 4-0 run. However, the Mariners held on for a 25-22 win. Set two featured three lead changes and four ties through 6-6. USMMA pulled ahead 10-6, but Montclair responded with eight consecutive points to grab an 18-12 lead, fueled by two kills apiece from Muuss and DiProfio. The Red Hawks never trailed again, evening the match with a 25-22 victory. Montclair controlled much of set three, stretching a 15-9 lead before Merchant Marine cut it to 16-13. The Red Hawks then closed on a dominant 9-1 run to take the set, 25-14. Riding that momentum, Montclair opened set four with an 8-2 surge. USMMA closed to within 12-8, but Thomas stopped the rally with a kill. Leading 15-10, the Red Hawks went on a 5-1 run to extend the margin to 20-11 and finished the match with a 25-17 win.
 
 
2025 TEAM LEADERS
MONTCLAIR STATE (8-2)
Kills: CAMRYN MUUSS, 109
Assists: LUCY CORNELIUS, 280
Digs: EMMA HATCHER, 120
Aces: EMMA HATCHER, 30
Blocks: LILY THOMAS, 28
 
2025 TEAM LEADERS
WILLIAM PATERSON (7-5)
Kills: Riley Elliott, 96
Assists: Abby Houpt, 345
Digs: Bella Demers, 244
Aces: Abigail Hayth, 21
Blocks: Laura Gruener, 28
 
SCOUTING WILLIAM PATERSON
The Pioneers enter the NJAC opener at 7-5 and are following a strong weekend that saw them sweep both New Paltz and Misericordia on Saturday in Dallas, Pa. 2024 was a stellar year for WPU, finishing 22-10 with a 7-1 NJAC record that saw them enter the conference tournament as the top seed. They downed Rowan and Stockton, 3-0, to crown themselves NJAC Champions for the first time since 1991. They went to the NCAA tournament, but saw a first-round exit at the hands of Christopher Newport, 3-1. According to the 2025 NJAC Preseason poll, they are slated to finish second in the conference this season.

SERIES HISTORY
This is the 45th time in the history of the series that the Red Hawks and Pioneers have renewed their rivalry. Montclair holds the series at 26-18.

LAST MEETING
The most recent encounter between Montclair State and William Paterson took place on September 24, 2024, and ended in a 3-1 win for the Pioneers.