Rutgers-Newark RUN 4-2,0-0 CVC

Messiah Mess 6-0,0-0 Middle Atlantic

Rutgers-Newark RUN

4-2,0-0 CVC

Final

Feb. 01, 2023

Messiah Mess

6-0,0-0 Middle Atlantic

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	5	F
Rutgers-Newark RUN	25	17	21	25	10	(2)
Messiah Mess	23	25	25	23	15	(3)

Summary
Box Score

Courtesy of Larry Levanti.

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | 2/1/2023 9:30:00 PM | Rutgers-Newark Athletic Communications

#15 Men's Volleyball Drops Top-15 Battle Against #3 Messiah in Five-Set Thriller

GRANTHAM, PA | #15 Rutgers University-Newark battled #3 Messiah this evening in an exciting five-set affair in which Messiah came out on top, 3-2 (25-23, 25-17, 25-21, 25-23, 15-10). The loss drops the Scarlet Raiders down to 4-2 on the year while Messiah improves to 6-0.

Andrew Zaleck led the Scarlet Raiders with 19 kills, tying his season high, while hitting .324 for the match. Aidan Apito finished second on the team with 9 kills and Daniel Quay added eight kills with one block. Justin Tuohy paced the team with 27 assists and three blocks. FrogJump Libero of the Week, Matt Nikishin, tallied a team-high eight digs.

The Scarlet Raiders opened their top-15 matchup against #3 Messiah with a 25-23 win. Rutgers-Newark fell behind by three early in the set, but they were able to rally back and eventually tied the set up at 19. Justin Tuohy propelled the Scarlet Raiders in front, 22-20, with a service ace before Messiah nearly tied the set up once again. The Scarlet Raiders benefited from an error followed up by a kill from Zaleck to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Messiah responded with a strong performance in the second set to level the match at one. After trading points early on, Messiah used an 8-2 run to take a large lead that Rutgers-Newark wasn't able to overcome.

With the match knotted at two, Rutgers-Newark and Messiah battled it out in a third set which saw Messiah escape with a win after the Scarlet Raiders nearly took control of the set. Much like the second set, the evenly matched squads were unable to separate themselves until a run broke the stalemate. Aidan Apito gave the Scarlet Raiders hope with a late kill, however, Messiah closed out the set to go up 2-1 in the match.

The Scarlet Raiders had their backs against the wall, down 2-1 in the match, and used 11 kills to send the match into a fifth set after edging out Messiah, 25-23. Rutgers-Newark used a 4-0 run halfway through the set to gain control. From there, the Scarlet Raiders held Messiah at bay until Messiah tied the set up at 21. A pair of kills from Quay and a kill by Apito were all the Scarlet Raiders needed to push the match into a fifth set.

In the fifth set, Messiah came out strong and jumped out to a four-point, 8-4 lead over the Scarlet Raiders. Down the stretch, the Scarlet Raiders brought it within three after a bad set by Matt Knab. Mason Nissley of Messiah made sure they protected their home gym and secured a pair of kills to take the win.

Up Next:
The Scarlet Raiders return to action on Friday, February 10 at 6:00 pm when they take on #13 NYU at the Volleyball Hall of Fame Morgan Classic in Holyoke, MA.

For the latest news, updates, and information on Rutgers-Newark sports, visit rutgersnewarkathletics.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Scarlet Raiders news by following Rutgers-Newark Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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