By Jim Hague
It might only be a 90-minute drive from Macungie, Pennsylvania to downtown Newark, but for Nick Kuti, it was a like a lifetime away.
Kuti left the rural, small town feel of Macungie for New Jersey’s largest city to attend Rutgers-Newark and play volleyball for the Scarlet Raiders a little more than two years ago.
“It was a completely different feel for me, but I absolutely loved it,” Kuti said. “The big thing for me was getting a chance to play college volleyball and I knew of the Rutgers-Newark volleyball program. But I also wanted to get a good education and coming to Rutgers gave me the chance to have a great education.”
However, when Kuti arrived in Newark, there was a bit of an adjustment.
“It was pretty much a culture shock for me, but pretty soon after I arrived, things turned around in a hurry. I didn’t know anyone on the team. I came here knowing nobody. But through volleyball and living on campus, I met a whole bunch of people who changed my life. I love being in the city. I took to it right away. There’s so much to do here. It’s exciting to experience college life with the people (at Rutgers-Newark).”
The only thing missing for Kuti was a permanent position with the Scarlet Raiders.
“Nick came in as such a versatile player,” Rutgers-Newark head men’s volleyball coach and coordinator of volleyball operations Pedro Trevino said. “But I didn’t have anywhere to put him.”
Kuti saw action during his first two seasons with the Scarlet Raiders, but mostly as a reserve as a freshman, playing all over the floor. It was a bit of a transition for Kuti, considering that the Scarlet Raiders were still playing under the NCAA Division I banner, so the competition was extremely tough.
“I think playing against the D-I teams only helped me as a player,” Kuti said. “I think it only helped me to get better.”
“He felt comfortable with the other guys,” Trevino said.
Last season, in Kuti’s sophomore year, he started to gravitate towards being a middle hitter.
“He started favoring playing the middle,” Trevino said. “He can go side to side very well. He is an athletic kid. He jumps very well and he’s very quick on his feet. He’s definitely very strong. He takes pride in playing the middle.”
“I love having the ability to play different positions, but it was tough to adjust between positions,” Kuti said. “I just wanted to get on the court. I didn’t care where it was.”
Trevino thought that Kuti might be better suited as a middle hitter for the Scarlet Raiders.
“Any time you can get a chance to have two good middle hitters, it makes the team that much stronger,” said Trevino, who already had senior Cody Chidsey in place in the middle.
Kuti was determined to turn himself into a solid middle hitter. He spent countless hours in the weight room to get bigger and stronger. He worked on his vertical leap, which was already excellent.
“He was ready to give his all,” Trevino said.
Kuti also spent a lot of time playing volleyball with his club team, Club Lehigh in Pa.
As the 2015-16 season began, Kuti knew that he had a regular position as a middle hitter. He no longer had to worry about being the versatile jack-of-all-trades. He was a fixture in the middle.
“I love playing all the positions,” Kuti said. “Being versatile is a big part of my game. But I love knowing I’m in the middle and I have my teammates backing me up. I have one position I can focus on and I’m going to try to be the best middle hitter I can be.”
Kuti has been a huge part in the Scarlet Raiders’ phenomenal 11-1 start this season. In comparison, the Scarlet Raiders started last year with a 0-5 mark and had to scramble from there.
This time, it’s been nothing but success, thanks to the efforts of Kuti.
Kuti has collected 126 points thus far, which ranks fourth on the team. Kuti has also contributed with 86 kills and his 54 blocks leads the team.
“Without a doubt, Nick’s been a big part of our success,” Trevino said. “You can tell he’s doing well when he’s going all over the court. You can tell he’s doing well defensively when he’s doing well offensively. It’s always good to have a guy like Nick on your team.”
“This year, we’ve all been able to put it all together,” Kuti said. “I hate losing more than anything, so our record has been a big self-confidence builder for me. It’s an awesome feeling.”
Kuti is a huge sports fan – as is Trevino.
“Growing up, my Dad was a big Indianapolis Colts fan,” Kuti said. “He followed Peyton Manning all over. I kind of did the same and followed my Dad. I love the Colts.”
“He loves football and loves the Colts, so I kid him a lot about that,” Trevino said. “He’s a big sports guy. Whatever sport is going on, Nick is following it.”
Kuti is also a big fan of WWE wrestling and his favorite wrestler is John Cena.
“It’s fun,” Kuti said. “When I was a kid, I was a big WWE fan, but I sort of distanced myself as I got older. But recently, I went back and it’s like watching reality television. John Cena is my favorite because he’s such a great athlete.”
“I like it, too,” Trevino said. “We’ve had long talks about a lot of things, especially wrestling.”
If Kuti starts to climb to the top rope of the volleyball net, then everyone’s in trouble. For now, Kuti and the Scarlet Raiders are doing just fine, thanks a lot to the man in the middle.
