Langhorne, PA - The Cairn Highlanders picked up a set on Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough as the Rutgers - Newark Scarlet Raiders proved to be too much in a 3-1 (25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-14) CVC match in the Mason Activity Center. For the Highlanders Andy Willits (14 kills), Micah Godshall (12), and Juston Wolgemuth (nine) led the offensive attack, accounting for 35 of Cairn's 44 total kills in the match. Willits also collected 11 digs in the match for his third double-double of the season.
 
The Highlanders were looking to avenge a 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-21) sweep that they suffered in Newark just last month. Cairn opened the match hot, taking control of the first set with leads of 11-9 and 15-12 before eventually leading 18-15 later in the set. The early success was built on spreading the ball around; Cairn had five different players collect a kill with Juston Wolgemuth leading the way with three.
 
As has been the story throughout most of the year, the Highlanders struggled to put the set away. The Scarlet Raiders used a 7-1 run to flip an 18-15 Cairn lead into a 22-19 advantage for Rutgers – Newark. The Scarlet Raiders eventually ended the set on a 10-3 streak to take the first set by a 25-21 final.
 
The second set felt much more like a back-and-forth battle that was up for grabs the entire way. The Highlanders dug themselves into an early 5-1 hole with three errors and eventually trailed 11-6, but rebounded nicely with an 8-2 run to take a 14-13 lead.
 
The two sides then traded modest, two- and three-point runs before the score stood even at 19-19. The Scarlet Raiders went on to win six of the final eight points, including the last three, to take the second set by a 25-21 final.
 
After dropping two closely contested sets, the Highlanders trailed 2-0, but they did not go down without a fight. Cairn battled back and took the third set by a 25-21 final. The Highlanders used a 6-1 run to break a 15-15 tie midway through the set and take the momentum for the rest of the game. Andy Willits championed the run with four kills to put Cairn up 21-16.
 
The Highlanders finished off the set by a score of 25-21 to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the match.
 
After falling in the third set, the Scarlet Raiders came back with fervor in the fourth set. Rutgers – Newark controlled the set from start to finish and claimed the set by a 25-14 final.
 
For the Scarlet Raiders, Ricky Crumlish (16 kills, 10 digs) and Brendon Frank (42 assists, 10 digs) each nabbed double-doubles in the victory.
 
For the Highlanders, Jon Simpson dished out a career-high 39 assists in the match more than doubling his previous high of 19 from Mar. 21 against Alvernia.
 
As mentioned, Andy Willits collected his third double-double of the season in the match. It was his first since a match on Mar. 4 against Arcadia where he tallied 19 kills and 10 digs.
 
The loss drops the Highlanders to 3-23 overall and 0-9 in the conference while the Scarlet Raiders improve to 11-14 overall and 5-5 in the CVC. Cairn will next take the floor on Friday night when they host No. 11 Eastern Mennonite at 7:00 p.m.