Postgame Audio with Coach Trevino | Highlights

NEWARK, N.J. (March 1, 2016) - The fourth-ranked Rutgers University-Newark men's volleyball team continued its exceptional season Tuesday night in The Golden Dome Arena, rolling to a 3-0 sweep of same-city and Division I rival New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The Scarlet Raiders won by set scores of 25-21, 25-18 and 25-19 and are now 17-1 overall. R-N has won a season-high nine matches in a row after starting the year off with eight-straight victories, and of those nine wins in the streak, eight have come via the sweep. The Raiders also now have a victory over a Division I opponent - their first since becoming a Division III program.

Rutgers-Newark hit a staggering .353 in the match, including .400 in the second set and .519 in the third. The Scarlet Raiders held NJIT to an attacking percentage of .146, out-pointing the Highlanders (2-11) 46-38.

R-N received major contributions from just about everyone who stepped on the floor. Senior middle Cody Chidsey had 10 kills and hit a ridiculous .600, adding two blocks, and sophomore outside Corey Pieper had nine kills (.348), four digs and two blocks. Senior setter Kevin McCandless was marvelous and can take a lot of the credit for the team's .353 hitting percentage, recording 36 assists, six digs and one block. Junior outside Jack Fredricks had nine kills (.278), four digs and a block, and junior middle Nick Kuti had five kills (.400), one ace, three blocks and two digs. Senior libero Quocmy Nguyen played well with six digs, as did sophomore Francisco Bruno who had six kills, an ace and two digs. Senior Nick Collins added a trio of digs and a kill as well.

Rutgers-Newark finished the match with 40 total kills, two aces, four blocks, 38 helpers and 28 digs, while NJIT had 33 kills, one ace, four blocks, 29 assists and 28 digs.

Rutgers-Newark 25, NJIT 21
The Highlanders opened an early 12-8 lead, but a 5-1 rally tied the score at 13 as Newark received an ace from Bruno and a kill from Pieper in the run. Two kills from Chidsey and one from Pieper helped the hosts open a 16-14 margin, and the lead moved to three (20-17) thanks to a Pieper kill and NJIT error.

Rutgers-Newark would close the set with three of the final four points as McCandless fed Fredricks for the clincher and a 1-0 lead.

Rutgers-Newark 25, NJIT 18
It was the Scarlet Raiders who raced out to an early lead in the second, doubling up the Highlanders 4-2. NJIT came back to tie at five, but the Raiders went back up three at 8-5 thanks to hammers from Fredricks and Pieper.

The guests fought to tie at nine, but the Scarlet Raiders continued to fire on all cylinders, using a 4-1 rally to open an 18-13 lead. The margin swelled to six thanks to back-to-back-to-back kills from Kuti, Bruno and Pieper, and a Pieper/Chidsey block and NJIT error put the Raiders on the brink.

Rutgers-Newark 25, NJIT 19
The Highlanders led early on in the third set, but a 6-2 run from Rutgers quickly turned the tables, making a 12-10 deficit into a 16-14 lead. The Highlanders called timeout to slow the momentum, but after they fought within one (16-15), three-straight Newark points made it 19-15.

A Collins kill gave Rutgers-Newark match point before Fredricks and Kuti teamed on a block to end it.

Rutgers-Newark will return to action Friday night against Continental Volleyball Conference foe Marymount University. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m. in The Golden Dome.