Box Score

UNION, NJ – Rutgers University-Newark could not shut down the Kean University attack as the Cougars posted a 3-0 win in the New Jersey Athletic Conference opener for each team in the Harwood Arena.  Game scores were 25-17, 25-17, 25-9.
 
Freshman outside hitters Karolina Kopacz and Samantha Renfree led the Scarlet Raiders (6-3, NJAC 0-1) with seven kills apiece while rookie setter Nathalie Breining distributed 20 assists.  Kopacz posted Rutgers-Newark's only ace of the contest and teamed with sophomore middle blocker Christina Maglione for the Raiders' only block.
 
Freshman libero Sue Riley recorded a dozen of the Raiders' 34 digs while junior middle blocker Sharee Gordon came up with five kills.
 
Kean (5-6, NJAC 1-0) hit a crisp .357 (47 kills, 12 errors, 98 attacks) behind sophomore outside hitter Kassie Hernandez and freshman middle blocker Sara Ridgway.  Hernandez pounded down a match-high 15 kills, hitting .448, while Ridgway put down 10 kills without an error on just 13 attacks.
 
Freshman outside hitter Calli Scheuermann roped five of the Cougars' 10 aces and added eight kills while senior setter Alana Aranjo fueled the attack with 35 assists.
 
The first game featured eight ties and three lead changes before Aranjo put the Cougars ahead for good with a kill followed by an ace to make it 11-9.  The Raiders kept the deficit to one point before Kean reeled off six straight to take a commanding 20-13 lead.  Hernandez had seven kills, an ace and a pair of blocking assists in the frame.
 
In game two, Renfree paced the Raiders with five kills, but the Cougars broke away from an 11-10 lead behind six kills and a pair of aces by Scheuermann.
 
Hernandez and senior outside hitter Aysia Peterson posted five kills apiece in the third frame for the Cougars.
 
Rutgers-Newark is at Baruch College at 6 p.m. Wednesday night before capping a 3-matches-in-3-days runs by hosting St. Joseph's College in The Golden Dome Arena on Thursday at 7 o'clock.