Box Score

NEWARK, NJ – Rutgers-Newark had chances in each game but Sacred Heart came up with big plays to post a 3-0 EIVA win in The Golden Dome Arena.  Game scores 25-23, 25-23, 25-23.

Sophomore outside hitter Manuel Felipez paced the Scarlet Raiders (2-5, EIVA 0-3) with 11 kills and two assisted blocks while freshman outside hitter Travis Mintzer totaled 10 kills and a solo block. Rookie setter Kevin McCandless registered 25 assists and delivered a service ace while freshman libero Quocmy Nguyen came up with a team-high six digs.

Junior outside hitter Bradley Borsay tallied a match-high 17 points with 13 kills, three aces and two assisted blocks while freshman middle blocker Raymond Satagaj added nine kills and got in on five of the Pioneers' nine blocks.  Freshman setter Thomas Benjamin dished out 34 assists as Sacred Heart (2-8, EIVA 1-4) hit .237 (42 kills, 20 errors, 93 attempts).  Freshman libero A.J. Logash notched a match-high nine digs.

The Raiders led game one 23-21 after a block by freshmen Cody Chidsey and Colin Ferguson, but back-to-back kills by Satagaj and back-to-back service aces by Borsay staggered Rutgers-Newark.  Felipez had five kills in just eight swings in the opening game, but three aces by Borsay offset his effort.

In game two, Sacred Heart broke away from a 20-20 tie with Satagaj getting the finishing kill to take a commanding 2-0 lead.  Borsay hammered down six kills in the frame while Mintzer notched five for the Raiders.

In the final set, a kill by Ferguson knotted the score at 19-19 before senior Adrian Fernandez sandwiched a pair of kills around a block by freshman middle blocker Travis Vonholt and him to put the Pioneers up for good.  A kill by junior outside hitter Will LeClerc ended the night.

There were a total of 37 ties and nine lead changes in the contest.

Rutgers-Newark will host Harvard in The Golden Dome on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sacred Heart will be up the block at NJIT for a 7 p.m. EIVA contest.