Box Score

NEWARK, N.J. – Rutgers University-Newark reeled of its fifth consecutive 3-0 win in The Golden Dome Arena, powering past Eastern Mennonite in a Continental Volleyball Conference match.  Game scores were 25-16, 25-13, 25-20.
 
Junior setter Kevin McCandless stoked the Scarlet Raider attack with 31 assists as the team upped its season's best hitting percentage for the second straight day in the friendly confines of The Dome.  Rutgers-Newark hit a sizzling .478 (42 kills, nine errors, 69 attacks) while limiting the Royals (4-2, CVC 1-1) to 23 kills in the 53-minute affair.
 
Junior outside hitter Jose Mendez powered down a dozen kills with two errors in only 15 swings (.667) and added an ace and a blocking assist to finish with a match-high 13.5 points.  He also handled 19 serves without a reception error.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Jack Fredricks hit .500 with 10 kills and two errors in 16 attacks while chipping in an ace and three blocking assists.  Sophomore middle hitter Nick Kuti hit .636 with seven kills on 11 swings without an error while notching two of the Raiders' five aces and getting in on four blocks for 11 points.  Junior opposite Travis Mintzer posted seven kills, an ace, a blocking assist and a match-high six digs.  Junior middle hitter Cody Chidsey totaled five kills, an ace and three blocking assists.
 
Sophomore Scott Bingham paced EMU with six kills, an ace and a blocking assist while freshman middle blocker Dan Lutz and senior right side Marc Lovell each tallied five kills and a blocking assist.
 
Rutgers-Newark (5-5, CVC 2-0) dominated play, finishing the match by leading wire-to-wire in the third game despite nine service errors.
 
In game one, Chidsey served seven straight times as the Raiders broke open the frame with eight consecutive points to lead 22-13.  Mendez hammered down four kills without an error on five swings to help Rutgers-Newark hit. 364 (10-2-22).
 
A Brigham kill gave the Royals their last lead of the match at 8-7 in game two before three consecutive kills by Fredricks ignited an 18-5 closing run by the Raiders.  A Mendez ace finished the frame in which Rutgers-Newark hit a blistering .632 (14-2-19).  Fredricks and Mintzer notched four kills apiece in the set.
 
Mendez had six kills – including one on match point – in the third game as the Raiders hit .464 (18-5-28) to overcome some balking serving.
 
Since a 0-5 start to the season, the Raiders have been untouchable in The Dome.  The squad has hit .418 (189-48-337) while averaging 3.33 aces and 2.43 blocks per game in five consecutive sweeps.
 
Rutgers-Newark hosts Cairn University in a CVC match Tuesday at 7 p.m. in The Golden Dome Arena.