NEWARK, N.J. (September 15, 2015) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's volleyball team was defeated by Kean University by a score of 3-0 Tuesday night in The Golden Dome Arena. It was the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opener for both schools.
 
With the loss R-N drops to 6-2 overall (0-1 NJAC). Kean improves to 7-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference. The set scores were 25-21, 25-19 and 25-20.
 
Kean 25, R-N 21
Kean used a 6-2 run early in the first set to turn a 4-4 stalemate into a 10-6 lead, eventually extending its margin to five (13-8) after a kill from senior outside Kassie Hernandez.
 
Rutgers-Newark came right back with a 5-0 run behind the serve of sophomore setter Nathalie Breining and a pair of blocks – one by the duo of sophomore Rebecca Ford and junior Tabitha Davis, the other from Ford and sophomore Hayley Merrill.
 
The Cougars responded with five-straight tallies of their own to open an 18-13 edge, but the see-saw first set continued with the Scarlet Raiders roaring back behins a 5-0 rally to tie. Davis had two kills, freshman Cassie Luken had one and Ford and Davis combined on another block.
 
Kean however would go on to score the next four points in the set and led 23-19 after a kill from sophomore Sara Ridgway, eventually taking a 1-0 lead in the match, 25-21.
 
Kean 25, R-N 19
Similar to the first set, each team went on runs early and found themselves locked at 10 before a 5-1 run from the guests gave them a 15-11 edge.
 
Rutgers-Newark fought within two on several occasions, but Kean had the answer. At 18-16, R-N had picked up some momentum after an error, with the Cougars responding again. This time it was a 6-2 run to open a 24-18 margin as the guests closed it out with a kill from senior Nicolette Poveromo.
 
Kean 25, R-N 20
The Cougars had a 7-4 lead after 11 points in the third, pushing the margin to five (10-5) after a kill from freshman Brett Harper.
 
Three quick R-N points behind the serve of sophomore Karolina Kopacz made it 10-8, and a kill from Merrill made it an 11-10 set.
 
The Scarlet Raiders would pull even after a Kean attack error (11-11), but the Cougars responded with four-straight kills after a Raider service error to match their largest lead of the set (five) at 16-11.
 
Kean extended the margin to six at 18-12 and 19-13, with the Scarlet Raiders showing some fight to get three-striaght kills (Ford, Kopacz, Gordon) to trim the deficit to three (19-16). Kopacz and Gordon points following a Kean tally made it 21-19, but it would not be enough as the Cougars scored four of the final five markers in the set to seal the win.
 
The Scarlet Raiders hit .111 for the match and Kean finished at .180. R-N totaled nine total blocks and 51 digs, while the guests finished with 67 digs and four blocks. Luken finished with a team-high five kills, with Merrill and Davis each picking up four. Ford and Gordon led the way with four blocks apiece, while Davis (12) and Riley (10) paced the Raiders in digs. Breining picked up 15 assists and eight digs for the Scarlet Raiders.
 
Rutgers-Newark will return to court Thursday afternoon when it hosts Baptist Bible in The Golden Dome Arena at 7 p.m.