Box Score NEWARK, NJ – The Rowan University women's volleyball team came from two sets down to win a five-set thriller over Rutgers-Newark in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opener on Tuesday night.
 
The Profs dropped the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-21 before winning the final three 25-17, 25-21 and 19-17. Rowan has an overall record of 2-6 and Rutgers-Newark is 3-2.
 
In the fifth and deciding set, the score went back and forth and was tied at three, eight and 15. The Scarlet Raiders took a 16-15 lead, but Rowan's outside hitter/right side Kristin Akin (so. Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) recorded a kill and Rutgers-Newark committed an error for a 17-16 Prof advantage. Setter/outside hitter Karolina Kopacz (jr. Rutherford, NJ/Rutherford) tied the set at 17. Rowan then got a kill by outside hitter Megan Jacobi (fr. Nazareth, PA/Nazareth Area) and the match-winner on a service ace by middle hitter Erin Keegan (so. Fairfield, NJ/West Essex).
 
Outside hitter Erica O'Hagan (sr. Cedar Grove, NJ/Cedar Grove) led Rowan with 19 kills and 12 digs. Middle hitter/opposite Jamie Shirtz (so. Menham, NJ/West Morris Mendham) tallied 14 kills and Jacobi added 13 kills. Setters Mary-Grace Testa (jr. Kearny, NJ/Mount St. Dominic Academy) and Kat Wolf (sr. Williamstown, NJ/Williamstown) each tallied 21 assists. Testa also had 14 digs. Defensive specialist/libero Rebecca Dantonio (sr. Glen Mills, PA/Garnet Valley) picked up 25 digs, while libero/defensive specialist Jennifer Vorel (sr. Madison, NJ/Madison) had 19. Setter Katelyn Paxson (fr. Long Valley, NJ/West Morris Central) collected 10 assists and nine digs. Keegan chipped in with 14 digs and Akin had nine kills.
 
For Rutgers-Newark, outside hitter Cassie Luken (so. North Brunswick, NJ/North Brunswick Twp.) had 15 kills and 17 digs. Kopacz accumulated 15 kills, 24 assists and 17 digs. Defensive specialist/libero Kathy Hormaza (sr. Morristown, NJ/Morristown) tallied 21 assists and 10 digs. Libero Sue Riley (jr. Rahway, NJ/Roselle Catholic) recorded 43 digs. Outside hitter Jess Moy (so. East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) added nine kills and 12 digs.
 
Rutgers-Newark controlled play in the first two sets. The Scarlet Raiders led by as many six points and won by seven in the opening stanza. The second set had Rutgers-Newark open up an eight-point lead and never look back.
 
The third set was tied at seven then Rowan tallied eight of the next 10 points for a 15-9 lead. Keegan recorded two service aces during the run and three different Profs had one kill. Rowan held the advantage and won the third set by eight points.
In the fourth, it was the Profs that jumped out to a lead and never relinquished it. Rowan opened up a 15-8 advantage after a kill by Shirtz. Rutgers-Newark did use an 11-4 spurt to tie the set at 19, then the Profs ended the set on a 6-2 run to tie the match. Jacobi provided the set-winning kill.
 
Rowan travels to Elizabethtown College and faces Messiah College on Friday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m.