Rutgers-Newark opened its 2026 season with a hard-fought 3-2 road victory over St. Joseph’s Brooklyn on Tuesday evening at The Hill Center. The Scarlet Raiders outlasted the Bears in a five-set battle to improve to 1-0, while St. Joseph’s Brooklyn fell to 0-1 in its home opener.
The match swung back and forth as both teams traded sets in a competitive non-conference contest. Rutgers-Newark showed resilience after dropping sets, finding answers in key moments to force a decisive fifth set and ultimately close out the win on the road. St. Joseph’s Brooklyn pushed the visitors the full distance and showed fight throughout, but could not quite finish the comeback.
The result gives Rutgers-Newark an early boost as it heads into a busy stretch of matches, while St. Joseph’s Brooklyn will look to bounce back quickly in its next outing