CHESTER, Penn. (Sept. 5, 2024) – After opening the season with its first four matches on the road, the Rutgers University-Camden volleyball team will be glad to return to its home court for a tri-match this Sunday.
 
The Scarlet Raptors wrapped up their season-opening road trip with a non-conference match at Widener University Thursday night, and the close match hinged around the Raptors' tough 27-25 defeat in the third set. Widener won the match, 3-1, by scores of 25-13, 25-27, 27-25 and 25-20.
 
The win evens Widener's record at 2-2, while Rutgers-Camden falls to 0-4.
 
Widener won the first set, 25-13, with freshman middle blocker Gabby Gbolahan notching two kills to lead Rutgers-Camden. For Widener, sophomore setter Meghan Prior had six assists among the 10 kills for the Pride.
 
In the second set, the Scarlet Raptors rallied from a 16-20 deficit to tie the score at 24-24 and 25-25 before taking a 26-25 lead on a kill by sophomore outside hitter/right side Sofia Granieri. They wrapped up the hard-fought 27-25 victory on a kill by freshman outside hitter/right side Maria Theruviparambil. Both of the final two kills were assisted by junior setter Avery Ang.
 
The Pride won a similar tough 27-25 victory in the third set, with a kill by graduate student outside hitter Lilyanna Martucci putting Widener ahead for good, 26-25.
 
The Pride scored the first seven points in the fourth set and, although Rutgers-Camden fought back to make it a tight score, Widener won the set and the match, 25-20.
 
Granieri had 11 kills and both Gbolahan and senior middle hitter/right side Kaitlyn Parrish had nine kills for the Scarlet Raptors. Ang finished with 24 assists and nine digs, while sophomore setter JoAnna Andrews had 17 assists, six digs and four aces. Sophomore Mia Owens led the team with 16 digs, while Theruviparambil added eight.
 
Sophomore Mia Francis had a team-high three block assists and added seven kills.
 
Martucci had a match-high 15 kills for the Pride.
 
Rutgers-Camden will play its home openers with a tri-match on Sunday. The Scarlet Raptors face Penn State-Brandywine at 11 a.m., followed by Brandywine against Alvernia University at 1 p.m. Rutgers-Camden will play Alvernia at 3 p.m.