Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Junior middle blocker Sharee Gordon and freshman outside hitter Karolina Kopacz combined for 31 kills as Rutgers University-Newark rallied past CCNY, 3-1, in The Golden Dome Arena.  The Scarlet Raiders (12-6) bounced back after losing the first game for a 23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 25-13 non-conference victory over the Beavers (7-15).
 
Gordon piled up a match-high 21.5 points on 17 kills, four solo blocks and a blocking assist while hitting a crisp .455 (17 kills, two errors, 33 attacks).  Kopacz added 14 kills on .316 hitting (14-2-38) while adding an ace, a blocking assist and eight digs.
 
Sophomore defensive specialist Kathy Hormaza equaled her career high with eight kills to go along with 17 digs and an ace while Raider freshman libero Sue Riley posted a match-high 19 digs, handled 25 serves without an error, delivered an ace and notched a kill.
 
Rutgers-Newark freshman setter Nathalie Breining reached the 40-assist plateau for the fourth time, distributing 43 to help the Raiders hit .257 (53-15-148).  She also added a match-high four aces, three kills and nine digs.  Sophomore right side Tabitha Davis chipped in four kills, two aces and six digs while freshman middle blocker Amber Borowski put down six kills.  Sophomore right side Hannah Riede roped a pair of aces to push the team total to 11.
 
The Raiders had to overcome the one-two punch of seniors Leticia Marotti and Saye-Chantl Joseph who combined for 34 of the Beavers' 49 kills.  Marotti finished with a match-high 19 kills, collected 17 digs and handled 26 serves without an error.  Joseph hammered down 15 kills, came up with 15 digs and received 15 serves without a miscue.
 
Senior setter Kathlen Sanchez Dos Santos dished out 41 assists and made nine digs while freshman libero Veralucia Quispe added 10 digs and an ace for CCNY.
 
In an opening game that featured blistering hitting, Marotti had eight kills and Joseph, seven, as the Beavers hit .381 (18-2-42) to hold off the Raiders.  Gordon had seven kills on 10 swings in the frame to help Rutgers-Newark hit .395 (17-2-38).
 
In the second set, Breining wrapped a pair of aces around a kill to spark a 4-point run which gave the Raiders the lead for good at 15-11.  Seven Rutgers-Newark players had kills in the game – including Riley – as the hosts hit .321 (12-3-28) and Gordon got in on three blocks to level the match.
 
There were 14 ties and five lead changes in the third set with CCNY taking a 23-22 lead on a kill by Marotti.  Gordon sandwiched kills around an attack error by Marotti to end the frame and give the Raiders control of the contest.  Gordon notched five kills in the game while Kopacz added four.
 
The Raiders pulled steadily away from the Beavers in the final game with Hormaza and Kopacz registering three kills apiece and Gordon adding two kills and a pair of solo blocks.
 
It was the fifth win in the last six matches for Rutgers-Newark which fell in five games to Rowan on Tuesday night.
 
The Raiders are at Montclair State on Tuesday at 7 for a New Jersey Athletic Conference match.