NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 5, 2015) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's tennis team picked up its first win of the 2015 season Monday, earning a 7-2 victory at John Jay.
 
With the win, the Scarlet Raiders improve to 1-7 overall. The Bloodhounds are now 0-7. Scarlet Raider first-year coach Tom Battaglia also picks up the first win of his short collegiate coaching career.
 
Rutgers-Newark took a 2-1 lead into singles play after earning one point via default and notching a strong 8-1 win at No. 2 doubles  as junior Kesha Patel and freshman Julibeth Hernandez teamed for a win in their first pairing of the season.
 
The Raiders picked up two points via default in singles play and earned victories at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4. Freshman Bryanna Thaxton pocketed up her first collegiate victory in the second singles flight in what was the match of the night. The R-N rookie was able to squeak out a 7-6 win in the opening set, but dropped the second, 4-6. In the third, Thaxton won 10-8, earning every ounce of her first triumph as a Scarlet Raider. Leading 9-4 in the tiebreak, Dominique Dawkins came back to make it 9-8, but Thaxton prevailed when she needed it most.
 
Hernandez earned her second college win at No. 3, rolling 6-2, 6-1, and her partner Patel swept at No. 4 (6-0, 6-0) for her first singles victory of the year.
 
Patel and Hernandez each went a combined 2-0 on the day to lead a hungry Scarlet Raider squad with Patel's singles victory clinching the match.
 
R-N will return to action looking for their second-straight win on Wednesday afternoon at Purchase College. First serve is set for 4 p.m.