UNION, N.J. (January 29, 2016) – Fifth-ranked Rutgers University-Newark defeated third-ranked Nazareth College in five sets (3-2) Friday night in a marquee top-five matchup. It is the second signature victory over a top-five team for the Scarlet Raiders who improve to 5-0 with the triumph. Nazareth suffers its first defeat of the year, falling to 4-1.
 
After winning 12 of the first 13 sets they played – including a dominating 3-0 sweep of second-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology in the season-opener – the Scarlet Raiders needed to go the distance to knock off the vaunted Golden Flyers who reached one of two national semifinals in 2015. The wins over Nos. 2 and 3 are the highest ranked teams the Scarlet Raiders have defeated since becoming an NCAA Division III program last year.
 
Friday's set scores were 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 17-25 and 15-11.
 
After the Golden Flyers pulled away late to force a fifth and deciding set, the Scarlet Raiders took the upper hand early in the fifth with three of the first four tallies to open a 3-1 lead. Senior middle Cody Chidsey had two kills and junior outside Jack Fredricks had the other.
 
A service error and kill from sophomore outside Corey Pieper helped Rutgers open a 7-3 edge, before senior opposite Travis Mintzer put down a hammer to send the Raiders to the switch on top 8-4. Nazareth fought within two on two separate occasions, but a kill from sophomore outside Justin Sandy and an ace from Pieper pushed the margin back to four (11-7).
 
Nazareth would get within two again (12-10, 13-11), but a Mintzer kill put R-N on the brink before a block from junior middle Nick Kuti and Mintzer gave Rutgers its fifth-straight win to start the season.
 
Each team had 65 points, with the Scarlet Raiders tallying 53 kills, five aces, seven blocks, 48 assists and 31 digs. Naz had 56 kills, just one ace, eight denials, 54 assists and 28 digs.
 
Mintzer (16), Fredricks (12), Chidsey (11) and Pieper (eight) led the R-N attack, with Chidsey hitting .500 and Mintzer converting at a .444 clip. The Scarlet Raiders hit .205 in the match, and senior setter Kevin McCandless finished with 40 assists and six digs. Pieper paced the Raider servers with a trio of aces, and Kuti (five), Mintzer (four) and Fredricks (three) all were strong in the blocking department. Senior libero Quocmy Nguyen had five assists and seven digs, while Fredricks picked up a team-high eight digs.
 
Veterans Tim Zyburt and Grant Levermore combined for 35 kills to lead the Nazareth offense.
 
R-N took the first set on the back of an 8-1 run keyed by the serve of McCandless and two Mintzer kills, but Nazareth came back to tie the match thanks to a 4-1 rally midway through the second.
 
Rutgers-Newark rebounded to score five of the first six points in the third, with Naz climbing back within one (11-10) midway through the set. Rutgers-Newark slowed the momentum thanks to Fredricks who recorded a kill and a block on back-to-back points to go back up three, but the Golden Flyers ran off four-straight to take their first lead of the third (14-13).
 
Another big Fredricks kill, followed by a Mintzer-Kuti block and Naz error saw the Raiders go back up two, before a big kill from Pieper pushed the margin to four (19-15). Nazareth hung around, but could get no closer than two as the Scarlet Raiders closed out the third.
 
Since a loss at New York University on March 10, 2015, Rutgers-Newark has won 14-of-15 against Division III foes, including victories over three nationally-ranked opponents.
 
R-N will continue competing in the Clash at Kean on Saturday when it battles Lasell College (12 p.m.) and Wentworth Institute of Technology (6 p.m.). Live stats and live video are available at www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com.