Box Score HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Rutgers University-Newark rallied from two games down to force a fifth frame at No. 5 Juniata, but the Eagles managed a 25-22, 25-18, 22-25, 25-27, 15-9, Continental Volleyball Conference win in Memorial Gymnasium.
In the first meeting of the old rivals as member of the CVC, the Scarlet Raiders got a balanced effort led by junior opposite
Travis Mintzer with 20.5 points on 16 kills, a solo block and seven blocking assists. He also posted a team-high 11 digs.
Rutgers-Newark (19-6, CVC 4-1) saw its 10-match winning streak snapped as Juniata (14-2, CVC 5-0) seized sole possession of the conference lead.
Five Rutgers-Newark players tallied double-digit points behind the setting of junior
Kevin McCandless who distributed 48 assists while serving two of the Raiders' four aces and making seven digs. The Raiders hit an impressive .300 (64 kills, 22 errors, 140 attacks) in the hour and 50 minute battle.
Sophomore outside hitter
Jose Mendez hammered down 14 kills while junior middle hitter
Cody Chidsey and sophomore outside hitter
Jack Fredricks totaled 13.5 points apiece for the Raiders. Fredricks notched 13 kills and a blocking assist while Chidsey contributed 10 kills, an ace, a solo block and three blocking assists.
Sophomore middle hitter
Nick Kuti hit a team-high .389 with nine kills and just two errors on 18 swings while getting in on six blocks to pile up 12.5 points.
Seniors Joe Bortak and Paul Kuhn powered Juniata, combining for 41 kills and four aces. Kuhn tallied a match-high 21 kills and two aces for 23 points while Bortak amassed 20 kills with just one error on 34 attacks (.559), delivered two aces and got in on three blocks for a match-high 23.5 points.
Junior setter Matt Elias registered 60 assists for the Eagles who had five players in double-digit points.
Juniata rolled to wins in the first two games behind Bortak who put down nine kills on 14 attacks without an error.
Mintzer and Mendez had five kills apiece as Rutgers-Newark hit .448 (14-1-29) in the third set to keep the match going. Up a point at the end of the game, Mintzer and Mendez hammered down back-to-back kills to extend the match.
In the fourth game, Mendez, Chidsey and Fredricks had five kills apiece as the Raiders edged into a tie. After a kill by Kuhn knotted the score for the fifth time in the frame at 25-25, a Juniata service error set the stage for a game-ending block by Mintzer and Kuti.
Back-to-back kills by Bortak gave the Eagles the lead for good at 4-2 in the fifth game as the hosts hit .417 (8-3-12) to earn the victory. Bortak had three kills on three attacks and added an ace to bring Juniata to match point.
The Raiders are now 1-2 in 5-set matches this season with the losses coming to nationally-ranked opponents. No. 9 NYU stopped Rutgers-Newark in five games on January 24 and the Raiders upended Thiel, 3-2, in a CVC road match on Valentine's Day.
Rutgers-Newark hosts No. 2 Stevens and No. 9 Baruch in a tri-match Saturday in The Golden Dome Arena. The Raiders take on Stevens in the 10 a.m. opener.
