MADISON, N.J. – For the second year in a row, the Drew University women's volleyball team gave a stout Susquehanna University squad all it could handle, but the River Hawks came back from a 2-0 deficit to win in five sets in a Landmark Conference (LC) showdown Wednesday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
Taking on a squad that finished 24-7 and was a regional finalist in the NCAA Division III Championships last season, the Rangers (12-11, 0-4 LC) seized the first two sets, 25-20 and 25-19, before Susquehanna prevailed 25-17, 25-16, and 15-13.
 
In its inaugural season of varsity women's volleyball last year, Drew also battled the River Hawks to a five-set nailbiter.
 
Sophomore Andrea Camacho-Tenreiro, the reigning Landmark Conference Athlete of the Week, led the Rangers with 20 kills and four aces. She has now posted at least 20 kills in three of her last four matches.
 
Junior Melina Christodoulou contributed 11 kills and four blocks while sophomore Ashley Carkhuff posted seven kills and a career-high five blocks. Sophomore Jasmine Butler handed out 40 assists, and classmate Lauren Gaza scooped 23 digs. Freshman Marissa Guajardo chipped in with three blocks.
 
Rosina Esposito paced Susquehanna (13-10, 3-1 LC) with 19 kills.
 
The Rangers never trailed in the opening set, though it was close most of the way. The hosts enjoyed their largest lead at 22-15, only to see the River Hawks rally with a 5-0 spurt. However, Drew Head Coach Alyssa Broccoli called timeout and the Rangers proceeded to score the final three points on back-to-back kills from Camacho-Tenreiro and a kill from Carkhuff.
 
Drew resumed their hot start in the second set, racing out to an 8-1 lead to open the period. The Rangers continued to pull away as their lead swelled to 21-8 after a 6-1 surge, and Susquehanna was unable to get closer than six the rest of the way.
 
The third set was a tight affair that featured six ties and one lead change. The River Hawks led just 17-15 before breaking the set open with a 5-0 run.
 
The visitors had the upper hand in the fourth set after opening the stanza on a 12-4 run. The Hawks would extend their lead to 19-9 and led by at least seven down the stretch.
 
The final set was the closest of the night. The Rangers raced out to an 8-3 lead, with Camacho-Tenreiro throwing down a pair of kills and one ace in the early going. But Susquehanna responded with a 4-0 spurt to close to within one.
 
Drew came back with a 3-1 surge of its own, as kills from Christodoulou and junior Leila Ksiyer made it 11-8 and prompted an SU timeout. However, the Hawks came back with four straight points to go up 12-11. The Rangers responded with a kill from Camacho-Teneiro before a Susquehanna ball-handling error tied it again at 13-13. However, the visitors won the last two points on a Drew attack error and a Faith Shaffer service aces.
 
The Rangers are back in action this weekend with three non-conference matches at DeSales University, starting with a Friday night tilt with Rowan University at 5 p.m.