OWINGS MILLS, Md. (April 9, 2016) – No. 7 Stevenson University defeated No. 5 Rutgers University-Newark 3-0 Saturday afternoon in the Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) title match.
 
The second-seeded Scarlet Raiders were topped by the Mustangs 25-23, 25-21 and 25-21, and Stevenson earns the CVC's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Men's Volleyball Championship. The Mustangs gave R-N two of its three losses this year, with each team going undefeated in set play on their respective home floors.
 
Rutgers-Newark – who won the CVC title last year and is now 24-3 overall – has a strong chance at an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The field will be announced Monday at 10 a.m.
 
Stevenson improved to 25-7, handing the Scarlet Raiders their second loss against a ranked opponent this season (5-2).
 
Junior outside Jack Fredricks (11) and senior opposite Travis Mintzer (nine) led the Scarlet Raiders with a combined 20 kills, and senior setter Kevin McCandless had 32 assists. McCandless added three rejections as the Scarlet Raiders finished with 18 digs and 45 points in the match. Stevenson hit a strong .367, keeping Newark at .289.
 
Stevenson ended the first set on a 6-1 run, coming back to take a 1-0 lead, and the Mustangs went 6-2 down the stretch of the second set to go up 2-0. The third set was tied 17-17 before the top seed closed the victory with an 8-4 rally.
 
Rutgers-Newark has had three winning streaks of six matches or longer this year, tallying wins over five different ranked foes. The Scarlet Raiders also boast a sweep over a Division I team in New Jersey Institute of Technology and a record of 10-2 in conference play.
 
Follow @ScarletRaiders on twitter for updates regarding NCAA Tournament selection.