BROOKLYN, N.Y. (September 10, 2015) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's volleyball team continued its hot start to the 2015 season Thursday, rolling to a dominating 3-0 sweep at Pratt Institute to improve to 5-0.
 
The Scarlet Raiders have now won 15-of-16 sets they have played, sweeping four matches and winning one 3-1. Thursday's set scores tell the story (25-12, 25-10, 25-15) as R-N cruised to the victory.
 
Rutgers-Newark finished with a very strong .265 hitting percentage, recording 42 kills as a team, led by 15 from sophomore Hayley Merrill and 10 from junior Tabitha Davis. The duo converted at a remarkable clip, swinging .433 and .714, respectively. Merrill had a double-double with a team-high 12 digs, also notching three of the team's nine service aces. Sophomore setter Nathalie Breining had 19 assists and two aces, with sophomore setter Bryanna Urbaez totaling 14 assists. R-N combined for 60 digs in the match.
 
R-N 25, Pratt 12
Rutgers-Newark started hot and never looked back, notching nine of the first 10 points in the opening set and going on a nice 6-0 run with Merrill serving. Sophomore Rebecca Ford and Davis had kills.
 
Pratt (0-4) made it a 10-6 set, but a 7-2 run sealed things for the Scarlet Raiders as freshman Cassie Luken, senior Sharee Gordon and Merrill all registered kills. R-N ran off six-straight tallies on the serve of sophomore Sue Riley later in the set with a Merrill kill making it a 25-12 final.
 
R-N 25, Pratt 10
Tied at four, the guests erupted for 13 of the next 15 points to open a 17-6 lead. Luken, Riley and Breining all had nice runs serving and Merrill led the way with four kills. Freshman Jess Moy had the final kill of the set, and a Pratt error sent the Scarlet Raiders to a commanding 2-0 lead. Rutgers-Newark hit .476 in the second, notching 13 kills in 21 attacks (three errors).
 
R-N 25, Pratt 15
Rutgers-Newark scored 4-of-5 to start, but Pratt fought back, tying the set at four. The Raiders responded to take a 10-5 lead with kills from Breining, Moy and junior Kathy Hormaza, eventually doubling up the home team (14-7).
 
Pratt showed some fight to get within one at 15-14, but Rutgers-Newark slammed the door, ending the set and the match with a 10-1 rally. Hormaza, Gordon (two) and Davis (two) all had kills.
 
The Scarlet Raiders return to action when they head to Pennsylvania on Saturday to battle Bryn Athyn and King's College at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.