ARLINGTON, Va. (February 24, 2017) – Nationally-ranked No. 15 Marymount University defeated Rutgers University-Newark, 3-0, Friday night in a Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) men's volleyball match.
 
Rutgers-Newark drops to 3-10 overall and 2-3 in the conference, while Marymount improves to 4-1 in league play and 9-3 overall.
 
The Scarlet Raiders will battle nationally-ranked CVC foe Eastern Mennonite University and non-conference opponent Bard College Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.
 
Rutgers-Newark fought hard in the first and third, clawing back in both, but Marymount controlled the action from the start of the second. The set scores Friday night were 25-23, 25-13 and 25-22.
 
Marymount 25, Rutgers-Newark 23
Marymount took the upper-hand midway through the first set, opening an 18-12 lead after 30 points. The guests roared back, scoring nine of the next 12 to tie things at 21. A solo-block from junior Corey Pieper pulled the team even, and a Pieper winner put Newark on top 22-21. A solo-rejection from junior Dom Gutowski pushed the Raider edge to two points, but Marymount scored four straight to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Pieper tallied an excellent seven winners in the first and hit .778.
 
Marymount 25, Rutgers-Newark 13
The Saints took hold early with 8-of-12 and never let go in the second, earning the 25-13 win to go up 3-0. Pieper tacked on a pair of kills in the second.
 
Marymount 25, Rutgers-Newark 22
Despite the tough second, Newark battled hard in the third. A kill from junior Jalen Sorrell helped R-N to a 5-3 edge, and after Marymount went on top 10-8, junior Ricky Crumlish came through with an ace to tie the score (11-11). A Pieper ace gave Rutgers-Newark a 16-14 edge after 30 tallies, but 6-of-8 for Marymount made it 20-18 in the Saints' favor. Back-to-back winners from Pieper and Crumlish pulled the Raiders even, but MU closed out the win with five of the final seven points.
 
Rutgers-Newark totaled 35.5 points in the match behind 26 kills, 26 assists, 6.5 blocks, three aces and 29 digs. Pieper led the way, racking up 13 kills (.258), seven digs and four blocks. Sorrell had five kills and four blocks, and sophomore Brendon Frank pocketed 22 assists and two digs. Freshman libero Jake Connors was solid, lifting 10 digs and three assists, and the Scarlet Raiders hit .080 in the match.
 
Marymount hit .307 in the win, picking up 40 kills, 36 assists and 36 digs.
 
Note: Corrected box score from Rutgers-Newark vs Stevens will be posted as soon as possible.