NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark fell to Rutgers-Camden, 3-0, in a New Jersey Athletic Conference match in The Golden Dome Arena, missing a chance to seize a conference championship playoff berth in the process.  Set scores were 30-28, 25-19, 25-23.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

The Scarlet Raider (4-15, NJAC 2-4) led 21-18 in the opening game before the Scarlet Raptors (11-14, NJAC 2-3) rallied to take the momentum.  Rutgers-Newark never regained its early match form. 

It was the first match of the season played in The Golden Dome which reopened after installation of new seat-back chairs which replaced the 30-year-old wooden bleachers.

Sophomore outside hitter Ula Nieznalska paced the Raiders with eight kills, a solo block, an assisted block and 10 digs while senior outside hitter Toni Moppert and junior right side Stephanie Touzan posted 9.0 points apiece.  Moppert chalked up six kills, a match-high three aces and 11 digs while Touzan totaled seven kills, an ace and two assisted blocks.

Sophomore libero Paulina Walega came up with 18 digs and an ace while sophomore setter Jen Mendoza finished with 23 assists, an ace and nine digs.  Sophomore middle blocker Michelle Jimenez added four kills on just 10 swings and got in on three blocks.

Junior middle hitter Kristin Koloski notched a match-high 11 kills for the Raptors who also got 10 kills from junior middle hitter Morgan Halbruner.  Junior setter Stephanie Miller dished off 35 assists while adding four kills for Rutgers-Camden and junior libero Catherine Tedeja posted a match-high 22 digs plus two aces.

In the opening game, Touzan had five kills and Moppert tallied four kills and an ace, but back-to-back Raider attack errors came ahead of a frame ending block by Koloski and junior outside hitter Olivia Murphy.

Nieznalska had four kills in the second set, but five Raptors reeled off three straight points to break a 15-all tie capped by an ace by junior hitter Rebecca Brown.  The Raiders trimmed the deficit to 19-18 before Koloski had back-to-back kills in the middle of a 4-0 Rutgers-Camden spurt to make it 23-18.

In the final set, Koloski had three kills to spark a decisive 6-0 run which gave the Raptors the lead for good at 13-7.  Koloski and Halbruner had five kills apiece in the frame.

The loss denied the Raiders a chance to virtually guarantee themselves a berth in the six-team NJAC Championship Tournament while the Raptors jumped solidly into the fray for the post-season playoff.

Rutgers-Newark is at Staten Island on Saturday for a noon non-conference match before travelling to Rowan University on Thursday to finish its NJAC regular season.