Jersey City, NJ – Rutgers-Newark women's volleyball opened NJAC play with a hard-fought 3–1 loss to New Jersey City University on Tuesday night. The Scarlet Raiders came out strong in the first set, using a balanced attack to pull away for a 25–16 victory and take an early lead in the match.

Momentum shifted in the second set as NJCU adjusted defensively and began finding their rhythm at the net. Despite a strong push from Rutgers-Newark, the Gothic Knights evened the match with a 25–20 win before carrying that energy into the third and fourth sets. The Scarlet Raiders battled but ultimately dropped the final two frames by scores of 25–20 and 25–19.

Tracey Ilderis led the Scarlet Raiders with 13 kills and added an assisted block to finish with 13.5 points on the night. Shayla Moody-Santos chipped in six kills and a block, while Miley Clenaghan anchored the defense with a team-high 15 digs. As a team, Rutgers-Newark totaled 35 kills and 10 service aces but were held to a .136 hitting percentage by NJCU's strong net presence.

With the result, Rutgers-Newark moves to 6–7 overall and 0–1 in conference play, while NJCU improves to 9–1 and 1–0 in the NJAC. The Scarlet Raiders will look to bounce back in their next matchup as they continue conference play next Tuesday against Rutgers-Camden. 

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