NEWARK, NJ – Junior setter Jen Mendoza stoked a balanced attack as Rutgers-Newark downed Mount Saint Vincent, 3-1, in a non-conference match in The Golden Dome.  Set scores were 25-15, 22-25, 25-12, 25-9.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

Mendoza, who added five kills and 11 digs, dished out 42 assists as the Scarlet Raiders (9-9) had four players with double-digit kills for the first time this season on their way to their third straight win.  The streak matches the Raiders' 3-0 season-opening run as the longest of the season.

Senior middle blocker Rachel Witt tallied 20.0 points with a match-high 14 kills and team highs of four aces and two solo blocks while adding nine digs. 

Senior right side Stephanie Touzan and junior outside hitters Ula Nieznalska and Paulina Walega hammered down 10 kills apiece. Touzan and Nieznalska posted a pair of aces each with Nieznalska adding a dozen digs.  Walega matched Nieznalska's double-double with a team-high 14 digs.

Combined with Mendoza's assists-digs totals (42-11), the Raiders recorded three double-doubles for the first time this season.

Freshman middle blocker Sharee Gordon added five kills for Rutgers-Newark while sophomore libero Kandace Lewis came up with five digs.  Junior defensive specialist Beatrice Loiseau served an ace in game four as the Raiders got points from seven of the eight players used.

Freshman outside hitter Ashley Scozzari paced the Dolphins with nine kills, two solo blocks and an assisted block for 11.5 points while junior middle blocker Morganne Booker notched eight kills and got in on one block.  Freshman outside hitter Allison Regan added a team-high four aces, three kills and a solo block while freshman setter contributed 19 assists, 10 digs, a kill, a solo block and a pair of aces.

The Dolphins (7-8) hit in negative numbers in each game to spell the difference.

Witt pounded down four kills and added an ace as the Raiders led wire-to-wire in the opening game, but Scozzari had four kills as Mount Saint Vincent rallied in the second frame to square the match.  Down 21-17, Rutgers-Newark rallied to take a 22-21 lead on three straight kills by Touzan, a Walega kill and an ace by Witt.   But the Dolphins survived to take the set on three Raider errors and a kill by Regan.

The Raiders rebounded to dominate the final two sets with Witt setting the stage with five kills on .667 hitting and two aces in the third game.  Rutgers-Newark hit .394 (17 kills, 4 errors, 33 attacks) in the third set and .308 (11-3-26) in the fourth.

Rutgers-Newark returns to New Jersey Athletic Conference play on Thursday when New Jersey City comes to The Golden Dome for a 7 p.m. match.