CAMDEN, NJ – The Wilkes University women's volleyball team came away with a split during a tri-match with host Rutgers-Camden and Clarks Summit on Saturday. The Colonels started the day with a 3-0 sweep of Clarks Summit (25-14, 25-20, 25-19) before falling to Rutgers-Camden 3-0 (21-25, 16-25, 19-25).

Following the non-conference split the Colonels are now 7-7 overall this season.

The Colonels avenged an August 31st loss to the Defenders by taking all three sets. Jamey Mikovich (Nesquehoning, PA/Panther Valley) helped set the tone with a kill and then two consecutive aces to give Wilkes a 7-4 lead in the opening set. Two aces in a row by Kristie Najdek (Bethpage, NY/Island Trees) pushed the Wilkes lead to five at 11-6.  The advantage then ballooned to eight at 21-13 following a Christie Challenger (Schuylkill Haven, PA/Blue Mountain) kill. The Colonels closed the set behind four-straight points to win 25-14 as Michele Natale (Kinnelon, NJ/Kinnelon) had three kills and Alex Ferrier (Auburn, PA/Blue Mountain) added another.

After trailing 4-1 in set two, Mikovich put Wilkes ahead with a kill at 5-4. A kill by Ferrier made it 9-6 but the Defenders went on a run to take a 19-17 lead. The Colonels rebounded with seven-straight points to gain control of the set. Mikovich had two kills and Ferrier added another during the run that made the score 24-19. Wilkes finished the set at 25-20 to go up 2-0.

Clarks Summit (3-13) again was ahead 4-1 in set three but a block by Mikovich and Emily Lass (Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill East) made the score 5-4 in favor of the Colonels. The score remained close as the Navy and Gold lead stood at 20-19 before five consecutive points closed the set and the match. Ferrier had two kills and Julie Murphy (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) added an ace in the run.

Mikovich filled the stat line with 13 kills, 23 digs, four blocks and four aces. Ferrier finished with nine kills while Challenger added eight and Natale six. Karlye Huffman (Sugar Run, PA/Wyalusing) finished with 31 assists and seven digs. Murphy had a strong game with 17 digs and a career-best four assists. Caitlin Bower (Blandon, PA/Fleetwood) finished with a career-high 11 digs.

Rutgers-Camden (7-5) defended its home court in the day's second match for Wilkes. Challenger and Amy Hadesty (Tamaqua, PA/Tamaqua Area) combined for a block and then a Scarlet Raptors error pulled the Colonels within one at 10-9 in the first set. Rutgers-Camden then scored seven of the next eight points to take control of the set that they would win 25-21.

After the Scarlet Raptors led 8-3 in set two, the Colonels scored four in a row including a kill by Natale to make the score 8-7. A kill by Ferrier kept the score close at 12-10 but the home team edged away from there to a 25-16 win.

Rutgers-Camden began set three with a 9-3 lead and never looked back. Wilkes did cut the lead to three points at 16-13 following back-to-back kills from Challenger and Natale and an opponent error but that is as close as the Colonels could get. The Scarlet Raptors won the set 25-19 to sweep the match.

Huffman had 20 assists and nine digs while Mikovich had eight kills and 11 digs. Natale also finished with eight kills. Murphy had a team-high 14 digs while Najdek added seven. Hadesty led Wilkes with three blocks.

The Colonels return to the Marts Center for a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom game on Tuesday against FDU-Florham at 7:00 p.m.