Box Score NEWARK, NJ – Middle blocker
Sharee Gordon hammered down 14 kills to lead Rutgers University-Newark to a 3-0 season-opening win over the College of Saint Elizabeth in The Golden Dome Arena. Game scores were 25-17, 25-18, 25-7.
The 6-foot junior hit a .522 (14 kills, 2 errors, 23 attacks) to lead a balanced offense fueled by freshman setter
Nathalie Breining who finished with 25 assists, 11 digs, four kills and a blocking assist.
Rookies were key to the Scarlet Raider victory with freshman outside hitter
Karolina Kopacz tallying nine points on five kills, a match-high three service aces and a solo block and first-year outside hitter
Samantha Renfree totaling eight kills.
Freshman libero
Sue Riley notched 16 digs to lead four Raiders who reached double figures in that category. Sophomore defensive specialist
Kathy Hormaza came up with 14 digs and sophomore outside hitter
Chrissy Campanelli added 10 to go along with Riley's 11.
Riley delivered two of Rutgers-Newark's seven aces with sophomores
Christina Maglione and
Hannah Riede roping the other two. Riede contributed five points by adding three kills and a solo block while Maglione chipped in two kills.
Sophomore outside hitter Nicole Morera paced the Eagles (3-1) with nine kills, an ace and a match-high 26 digs. Senior outside hitter Katie Cooper registered 16 digs and four kills for St. Elizabeth while senior setter Amy Cooper distributed 17 assists.
In the opening game, Riley sandwiched aces around a kill by Renfree to cap a 5-0 Raider run which put them ahead for good at 11-6. Renfree led Rutgers-Newark with three kills in the frame.
Down 5-3 in the second set, the Raiders rattled off five straight points to take control of the game at 8-5 with Gordon contributing a solo block and two kills during the spurt. Gordon put down eight kills on just 11 swings with one attack error.
The Raiders finished the night by hitting .344 (13-2-32) in the final game behind nine assists by Breining. Kopacz delivered two aces.
Rutgers-Newark (1-0) hosts Brooklyn College (1-4) on Thursday at 7 o'clock in The Golden Dome Arena.
