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NEWARK, N.J. (February 9, 2017) – The Rutgers University-Newark men's volleyball team will open its Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) schedule Friday at The Golden Dome, welcoming rival and 14th-ranked Juniata College to town. Opening serve is set for 7 p.m.
 
Rutgers-Newark brings a record of 1-6 into play Friday night, but the young Scarlet Raiders have tested themselves early and often. One of the losses came against NCAA Division I opponent New Jersey Institute of Technology, with three of the other five coming against teams in the current American Volleyball Coach Association (AVCA) Top-15 (No. 3 Stevens Institute of Technology, No. 4 UC Santa Cruz and No. 15 Lasell College).
 
"Obviously we don't like being 1-6, but we also have to keep everything in perspective," said Head Coach Pedro Trevino. "We have played an incredibly challenging schedule with the hope it prepares us for our conference matches, and we will be able to see that start to play out this weekend."
 
In addition to Friday's match against Juniata in Newark, the Scarlet Raiders will turn around to face CVC rival Thiel College Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in The Dome.
 
Juniata boasts a record of 5-4 on the young season, having played a strong schedule as well. All four of the Eagles losses have come to nationally-ranked teams.
 
Leading the Scarlet Raiders all over the court this season has been junior outside Corey Pieper. Pieper is hitting .347, putting down 4.16 kills per set (104 total). He has also scored nine service aces, and he leads the team in total blocks (15) and blocks per set (.60).
 
Freshman libero Jake Connors has done well in his young career, totaling 62 digs and leading the squad with 2.48 per set, while junior outside Justin Sandy (2.20 kills per set, 1.84 digs per set) and junior middle Jalen Sorrell (1.60 kills per set, 13 total blocks) have been strong as well. Sophomore Brendon Frank has also stepped into a nice role after limited action as a rookie, averaging 1.32 kills per set and dishing out 2.24 assists per set.
 
The Eagles have won 3-of-4 matches after starting the season 2-3. Most recently, Juniata swept Medaille at the Golden Flyer Invitational in Rochester, N.Y. Outside hitter Quinn Peterson (13 kills; .417) and middle Kyle Seeley (seven kills; .778) led the way, and the duo currently sits No. 1 and No. 2 on the team in kills per set and total kills.
 
Head Coach Pedro Trevino's Keys to the Match
-We need to minimize our mistakes and really make them earn their points. Points are at a premium so we have to make them work for each and every one.
-Better the ball' – I think finding points in big matches is important, so if we can turn some bad balls into strong plays it will make a difference.
-We need to be consistent in our effort and focus throughout each set and from set-to-set.
-It will be important for us to put up a good block to allow our defenders to fill the angles and limit hitting lanes.
-We need to be mentally tough from the first point to the last point. There are going to be swings in the match, highs and lows, so it will be important for us to stay in it at all times.
 
Fans unable to make Friday night's league-opener against Juniata or Saturday's CVC contest against Thiel can watch live for FREE at www.rutgersnewarkathletics.com.