In the perfect world, Corey Pieper would like to become the next Stephen Spielberg.
 
"I think that would be a pretty great goal," said Pieper, a senior at Rutgers-Newark. "I'm not 100 percent sure what I really want to do yet. Writing would be cool. Directing would be cool."
 
In fact, Pieper is already getting a head start on his ultimate goal. As part of his thesis in the R-N film and video production program, Pieper is writing and directing a short film.
 
"It's about a kid who feels like he needs to prove something, but he goes about it the wrong way," Pieper said. "I've already written the screenplay and I'm getting help for the acting roles. It looks like we'll finishing shooting in March."
 
Pieper is already busy doing an internship with Neighborhood Watch, a film production company based in Brooklyn. In order to get to the studios three days a week, Pieper has to take five different trains from Newark to Brooklyn.
 
Somehow, Pieper finds the time to chase his dream, but is firmly planted in reality.

Right now, Pieper is the right side hitter for the Scarlet Raiders, his third different position in his four years at R-N.
 
When Pieper was first recruited by R-N head coach Pedro Trevino out of the famed Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Pieper was primarily a setter.
 
"I saw his height (6-foot-5) and always liked height in setters," said Trevino, who first learned of Pieper in the form of an e-mail from Pieper himself. "I was interested."
 
Pieper first wanted to go to a film school in California, but then started to consider Rutgers-Newark.
 
"I remember taking the 10 hour drive from home to Newark," Pieper said. "I got here and said,
 
'There's no way that I'm going here.' I came from a more rural area in Ohio and then I was coming to Newark that was real urban. It was kind of scary to me at first. I kept asking myself, 'Why am I doing this?'"
 
But things soon changed for the better.
 
"I met the guys on the team and talked to them a lot," Pieper said. "They were really cool and they helped me. Pedro was always good with me. I liked the coaches and the players."
 
So Pieper decided to come to R-N, even though the program had just dropped from NCAA Division I to NCAA Division III.
 
Pieper barely played as a freshman, earning six starts, totaling 72 points and 49 kills.
 
"He then expressed a desire to get on the court," Trevino said. "We had other setters and I liked the way that Corey hit the ball. Corey suggested to me if he could move and I liked that. It was all about Corey's desire to get on the court. He knew that we had a position opening outside, so he moved. He played there a little in club (volleyball, played in the summer and early fall), so it wasn't totally foreign to him."
 
Pieper was more than ready for the challenge ahead.
 
"I knew that I had high technical skills," Pieper said. "I like to think I could play anywhere."
 
Pieper played outside hitter for two years, but then was on the move again, shifting a third time to the right side.
 
"Last year, Pedro said that he wanted me to try the right side, but I hurt my ankle twice and really didn't have the lateral movement to make the change," Pieper said.
 
"We got him a ton of reps in the preseason," Trevino said. "And it just took off from there. The one thing we do is to make sure everyone tries every position. We do push our guys to be multidimensional."
 
Pieper played the right side like he was born to be there.
 
"We had to get Corey to the right side," Trevino said. "He was all for it. He said, 'Go right ahead.' I always told him that his swing was a natural from the right side, that he had a natural right side swing. There are times now when I know he's in command there. Corey has thrived over there. He can do a little bit of everything."
 
Pieper is displaying that diversity in a big way this season. The Scarlet Raiders own a 10-1 record this year and are currently in the middle of a nine-match winning streak. A lot of that credit has to go to Pieper.
 
He has accumulated 133 points thus far thanks to his 112 kills, 14 service aces and 12 blocks.
 
Last week, Pieper had 15 winners in a sweep of Widener, adding six digs and two blocks in the 3-0 rout. Pieper also had 11 kills and two blocksin the win over Thiel College.
 
For his efforts, Pieper was bestowed with the prestigious Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) Player of the Week.
 
"The real reason why I'm doing so well is because we have others who can fill the other (hitter) roles," a modest Pieper said. "I think I'm a little better on the outside, but I'm working harder to be where I am. I guess I'm best wherever I'm hitting the ball. That's what I'm best at, but my team and my guys have stepped up."
 
Pieper said that he had confidence he could perform on the right side.
 
"I played a lot of right side in high school," Pieper said. "I'm not surprised at all with what has happened. If anything, I tend to get down on myself and I know that I can do better. But I'm not too surprised."
 
Nor is Pieper shocked with the Scarlet Raiders' turnaround from 12-17 last year to 10-1 this year.
 
"I always had confidence in us," Pieper said. "Last year I think we all struggled with our confidence. The biggest thing we all gained was experience. With the new freshmen we had coming in, it was all very good. I knew things would turn around."
 
Pieper has a lofty individual goal.
 
"I want to hit at a .500 average," Pieper said. "I'm shooting for .500. I know I can hit the ball. I have high expectations of myself. I'm setting very high goals, like going to the NCAA Tournament this year. I think I've always tried to aim higher than I thought."
 
Thus, the idea of becoming the next Spielberg.
 
"I definitely enjoyed a lot of growth here," Pieper said. "It was a good experience. I've learned to be more positive."
 
"He knows it's his senior year," Trevino said. "I know he wants to win and wants to go out a winner. His goal is to make it to the NCAA Tournament. He tells us every day that he will do whatever it takes to lead us there. He's definitely someone who loves to learn about the game and is always trying to correct his mistakes. He'll make a good coach someday."