NEW LONDON, Conn. --
After a dominating set one victory, Coast Guard survived scares in sets two and three to come out victorious in a 3-0 sweep of Rutgers-Newark(25-13, 25-21, 25-18). The Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark fought valiantly but were unable to hold off the firepower of CGA. With the loss, the Scarlet Raiders fall to 2-3 on the year. They will next play tomorrow, in a tri match in Boston, MA vs Suffolk University(11 AM) and Eastern Connecticut State University(1 PM). 

Set one was largely uneventful for CGA. They jumped out to a 4-0 and never looked back, cruising comfortably to a 25-13 set win. The highlight of the first set came on a kill from an unlikely source, senior libero Kaela France(Calhan, CO). With the score at 22-13, the Bears were able to turn a broken play into a point. After a tip over the net by a Rutgers-Newark middle appeared to be heading for the floor, sophomore hitter Abigail Schweitzer(Emmaus, PA) and sophomore setter Keira Whalen(Philadelphia, PA) were each barely able to get a hand on the ball to keep the play alive. France was there to capitalize. She sent the ball just over the head of the Rutgers libero for her first kill of the season. The Bears would go on to win the next 2 points to secure the set.

Unlike set one, the Bears had to play from behind for the majority of set two. They trailed by as many as six on numerous occasions early on. The momentum started turning on a clutch kill from junior middle Allie Wildsmith(Bainbridge Island, WA) to cut the score to 16-11. CGA would win the next three points on two Rutgers attack errors and a Kaela France ace to cut the lead to two. They would continue to go back and forth with the Scarlet Raiders until 20-18 when the Bears took off. Senior Shannon Shaw(Torrance, CA) had a kill to cut the lead to one and sophomore middle Eloise Shirley(Burke, VA) took the ball and went on a five point service run to bring the Bears to set point. The aforementioned Shaw and fellow senior hitter Carlee Lingle(Schertz, TX) would each have big kills to aid the Bears. They would relinquish one more point but go on to win the set on another Wildsmith kill.

In set three; like set one, CGA led the entire time. While Rutgers made comeback attempts, Coast Guard was able to fend them off each time. At 16-11, freshman pin Dylan Elferdink(Hernando Beach, FL) got in the match for the first time after a Rutgers-Newark point. She proceeded to get her first career kill on the very next play. Later on in the set, junior defensive specialist Vickie Mancine(Chicago, IL) took a play out of her fellow defender Kaela France's book from set one and earned an unlikely kill. Again on a broken play, Mancine sent a perfectly placed bump high in the air just over the net for the kill and an 18-14 lead. CGA would go forward to win 25-18 and complete the sweep. 

Coast Guard was led on the attack by veterans Allie Wildsmith, Abby Schweitzer, and Carlee Lingle who had nine, eight, and five kills respectively. 

Setter Sophia Rosenberg(Lebanon, PA) set a new career high in assists with 19, leading all Bears. 

Libero Kaela France shined not only with her hitting abilities today but on her more familiar defense as well, leading all players in the match with 19 digs. 

Coast Guard will look to stay hot tomorrow in the JWU Round-Robin with matches vs Johnson & Wales(11 AM) and Amherst(1 PM)