NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark freshman Christina Maglione and sophomore Sharee Gordon combined for 18 points in the middle blocker position, but Kean used a balanced attack to post a 3-0 New Jersey Athletic Conference win in The Golden Dome Arena. Game scores were 25-23, 25-17, 25-19.

Maglione and Gordon each had a team-high seven kills while the rookie added a pair of aces and the sophomore was involved in two of the Scarlet Raiders' three blocks. Freshmen Adrianna Pagnotta and Hannah Riede notched three kills apiece.

Rookie setters Emilie Pulecio and Chrissy Campanelli combined for 19 assists and 14 digs while freshman libero Kathy Hormaza tied Campanelli with a team-high eight digs. Freshman outside hitter Veronica Chau chipped in two kills and seven digs.

Senior middle hitter Kaitlyn Hansen paced the Cougars (12-2, NJAC 3-0) with 16 points on nine kills, four aces and six blocking assists while junior outside hitter Aysia Peterson hammered down a match-high 10 kills and added a pair of aces despite playing in just two games. Junior setter Alana Aranjo dished out 31 assists as Kean hit .217 (43 kills, 20 errors, 106 attacks) and added three kills, two aces and four blocking assists.

The Raiders had a chance to seize control of the match in the opening game when Gordon and Pagnotta teamed up for a block which knotted the score at 22-22. But Hansen delivered a kill and then combined for a block with Aranjo to give Kean the lead for good. After a Cougar service error, Hansen's third kill ended the frame. Peterson paced the Cougars with five kills and two aces in the opening set while Maglione, Pagnotta, Gordon and Riede notched two kills apiece for Rutgers-Newark.

The Cougars jumped out to a 9-1 lead in game two and led wire-to-wire to take control of the match. Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Fitzgerald had five kills on just six swings to help the Cougars hit a crisp .312 (14-4-32) for the game while Maglione paced Rutgers-Newark with three kills and two aces.

Gordon had three kills and a solo block in the third game, but Kean pulled away steadily from a 1-1 tie behind five kills by Peterson.

Rutgers-Newark (4-5, NJAC 0-3), which lost its third consecutive league match, will take on host Manhattanville at 11 a.m. and New Rochelle at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Valiant Invitational in Newburgh, NY.