ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The Rivier men's volleyball team fell in four sets to Rutgers-Newark in its season opener on Friday afternoon at the Harrah's Waterfront Conference Center on the opening day of the Battle 4 the Boardwalk.

The Raiders fell by set scores of 25-19, 18-25, 22-25, 22-25 to fall to 0-1 while the Scarlet Knights started their campaign 1-0.

Senior middle Bassam Awde led the way with five kills at a .500 clip to go along with four total blocks. Sophomore setter Justin Barish produced a double-double with 23 assists and 10 digs, while classmate Luis Castillo notched a team-high 13 digs in his Rivier debut.

As a team, Riv produced a .929 serve reception percentage.

The Raiders return on Saturday, Jan. 18 for a noon match against Drew and a 5:00 p.m. match against Arcadia on the final day of the showcase.