NEWARK, NJ – All-EAST setter Jeff Zornig fed a balanced Rutgers-Newark attack which carried Rutgers-Newark past Saint Francis, 3-0, in the quarterfinal round of the EIVA Championship Tournament. Game scores were 25-18, 25-22, 25-21.

BOX SCORE & PLAY-BY-PLAY

2011 All-EIVA Team
2011 EIVA All-Academic Team

The Scarlet Raiders (17-11) return to the EIVA tournament semifinals for the first time since 2006, facing top-seeded Penn State at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The winner advances to Saturday's championship match with the winner getting a berth in the Final Four.

Zornig, who was named to the All-EAST first team this week, stoked an offense which featured five players with seven or more kills as Rutgers-Newark downed the Red Flash (10-19) for the third time this season. He also dumped in four kills and got in on one block.

Junior right side Austin Pappas, who was a second-team All-EAST pick, had match highs of 11 kills and a dozen points.

Junior outside hitter Marcin Midura, who was named to the 2011 EIVA All-Academic Team, hit .500 with 10 kills and an assisted block while senior middle hitter Grant Metheny had eight kills on 10 swings without an error to hit .800.

Junior right side Kenneth de Groh had seven kills and all four of the Raiders' service aces while sophomore middle hitter Brett Pickens hit .545 with seven kills and one error in 11 attacks. Junior libero Zack Chambers notched a match-high six digs.

Sophomore middle blocker Adam Roche paced Saint Francis with seven kills, an ace and two assisted blocks for nine points while senior middle blocker Eric Syty added 8.5 points on five kills, two aces, a solo block and an assisted block.

The Raiders' hitting percentage was its third highest of the season – and their best against an NCAA D-I opponent.