KINGS POINT, N.Y. (August 31, 2018) – The Rutgers University-Newark women's volleyball team began its 2018 campaign at the United States Merchant Marine Academy this afternoon. The hosts took the match 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 28-26) as they improve to 1-0 while the Scarlet Raiders fall to 0-1.

Rutgers-Newark was led by sophomore Comfort Akinbo who racked up team-highs of eight kills and a .161 attacking percentage. Senior Cassie Luken and freshman Sharon Starling each recorded five winners while Luken added five digs and Starling contributed six assists. Junior Brione Lockett shared match-high honors with 15 digs and sophomore Karly Gregoire led the squad with 11 assists.

The Scarlet Raiders return to action on Tuesday at the College of Staten Island with a 7 p.m. start.

Merchant Marine Academy 25, Rutgers-Newark 21
The opening stanza was a see-saw battle as both squads struggled to gain a commanding lead.

The Mariners jumped out to an 8-5 lead but the visitors fought back behind Luken. Luken began the rally with a kill from Starling that sparked a 7-0 surge, featuring two more winners from Luken, that saw the Scarlet Raiders claim a 12-8 advantage.

The home team struck back, taking seven of the next eight points to regain its edge but that would be short-lived. Kills by Starling and Akinbo helped R-N earn a slight 17-15 advantage.

From that point, there would be three more ties and three lead changes however it was eventually the Mariners who won the final three points of the set to take the opening game 25-21.

Merchant Marine Academy 25, Rutgers-Newark 18
In the second set, the hosts took control early and did not relinquish their advantage. The Mariners jumped out to a 19-8 lead and looked poised to run away with the game.

However, the Raiders rallied back to take nine of the next 10 points. Akinbo combined with junior Epiphani Woodard and then Starling on consecutive blocks before Starling converted four straight service aces to bring the visitors within 20-17.

Unfortunately, the Mariners rattled off the next four points and took the stanza 25-18.

Merchant Marine Academy 28, Rutgers-Newark 26
The third set followed a similar pattern to the opening game as neither team could gain a significant advantage.

After the Mariners won the first three points, a kill by Starling started a run that saw the visitors take six of the next seven points. That spurt was capped by a pair of kills from Akinbo to give her side a slight 6-4 lead.

USMMA reeled off six consecutive tallies to regain its edge but Rutgers-Newark won six of the next eight points including a three point stretch where Starling sandwiched a pair of winners around an ace from Lockett to knot the set at 12-12.

The Mariners regained a 15-12 edge, however the Raiders fought back again by taking seven of eight tallies to earn a 19-16 lead, capped by a Luken spike.

The squads continued to battle back-and-forth as neither team could open up a lead larger than three.

A kill and ace by sophomore Dahlia Shoukry helped the visitors to a 23-20 edge but a trio of late points from the home side had them in front 25-24.

The lead would change hands one last time after R-N claimed a slim 26-25 advantage as the Mariners took the set and match with three consecutive kills.