Drew DREW 3-22,0-4 CVC

Rutgers-Newark RUN 16-7,3-1 CVC

Drew DREW

3-22,0-4 CVC

Final

Mar. 15, 2025

Rutgers-Newark RUN

16-7,3-1 CVC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Drew DREW	12	29	19	21	(1)
Rutgers-Newark RUN	25	27	25	25	(3)

Elmira Elmira 15-5,0-4 UVC

Rutgers-Newark RUN 17-7,3-1 CVC

Elmira Elmira

15-5,0-4 UVC

Final

Mar. 15, 2025

Rutgers-Newark RUN

17-7,3-1 CVC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	5	F
Elmira Elmira	25	25	21	24	10	(2)
Rutgers-Newark RUN	21	22	25	26	15	(3)

Game Recap: Men's Volleyball | 3/15/2025 6:52:00 PM

Men’s Volleyball Takes Two in Thrilling Tri-Match

NEWARK, NJ | In a hotly contested afternoon of competition, the Scarlet Raiders (17-7) defeated Drew (3-23) and pulled off an improbable five set comeback to beat Elmira (15-5) to complete a perfect 3-0 weekend.

Match 1: Rutgers-Newark 3, Drew 1 (25-12, 27-29, 25-19, 25-21)

The Scarlet Raiders seemingly carried their momentum through from last night. They jumped on the Rangers and found themselves ahead early courtesy of kills from Alex Solodky and Aleks Kolodziej. Michael Suarez drilled an ace to force a Drew timeout at 7-2. Vincent Lopez also found an ace, and the Rangers took another timeout at 15-7. However, Rutgers-Newark kept on putting up points. Suarez landed a sweet fake into a rolled attack with the left hand to put his team up by 13, and the hosts finished out the first set with ease.

Drew was much sharper in the second set, taking the initiative and holding onto it tightly. Gio Martin gave them a 4-3 edge and their defense held strong. They blocked several Scarlet Raider attacks, but their own attacking errors kept them from creating a larger gap. With Drew ahead 13-9, the hosts took their first timeout of the match.

Rutgers-Newark came out of the timeout and won four consecutive points to get within two at 15-13. However, the Rangers maintained their lead despite constant pressure from their opponent. Massimo Roco found the floor to finally bring things level at 19, but Drew quickly reestablished their lead and were in a dangerous position at 23-19.

With very little room for error, the home team hung in there with all their might. Drew had set point at 24-22, but a combination of brilliant defense and Kolodziej's hitting sent it to extra points. The visitors took the initiative as they had all set, going up three different times, but Rutgers-Newark responded on each occasion. They thought they had a lead at 27 apiece, but Roco had touched the net on his attack, and they couldn't come back a fourth time. In the end, Drew emerged victorious from a rollercoaster of an extended second set.

The Rangers were confident, and they were up early in set number three. Ephraim Smith was hitting well, and he led his team to a favorable 7-5 scoreline. Their strong defense continued as well, but this time the Scarlet Raiders didn't trail for quite as long. Vincent Lopez hit home to make it 11-11, and a block by Lopez and Kolodziej gave the home team the lead. Suddenly, Drew was down by three and they took a timeout in an attempt to slow Rutgers-Newark's roll. But the Scarlet Raiders were too hot to handle, and they powered through the rest of the set to take their lead back.

After all of the drama from the previous set, the energy settled down a bit for the fourth. The score was 8-8 early on, and the serves were not landing. There was a stretch that contained five service errors within the span of seven points. The Scarlet Raiders came out of that stretch ahead 11-10, and they never relinquished their lead. They created a 21-15 difference thanks to Alex Solodky, who had a career high 14 kills. Drew had quite a strong performance, especially in set two, but Rutgers-Newark eventually came out on top.

Match 2: Rutgers-Newark 3, Elmira 2, (21-25, 22-25, 25-21, 26-24, 15-10)

It was a very spirited start to set one, and both teams seemed up for the task. Several lead switches led to a 6-6 early scoreline. The Scarlet Raiders took a slight lead but the score leveled back out at 11. Elmira took control after that, and went on a 6-2 run to take a 17-13 lead. Rutgers-Newark remained close, but Elmira held their advantage late into the set. The gap between the two teams remained steady at three points until the Scarlet Raiders inched within one at 22-21, leading to an Elmira timeout. After the stoppage, the Soaring Eagles won three straight points to take the first set.

Set two was as close as it gets. Elmira took the initiative with a 4-1 early lead. Rutgers-Newark tied it a four, and from there the two sides were inseparable. Elmira held a slight edge at 11-9, which was once again evened up. Then, there was no lead of greater than one point until the Soaring Eagles pushed ahead at 20-18. The Scarlet Raiders pulled back within a point, but they were just a step behind the whole time. Elmira took another close one to double their set advantage.

Set three started similarly to the second, with Elmira taking three of the first four points. However, this time the Scarlet Raiders were able to turn the score around quickly. They took a two point lead at 7-5, and extended it slightly at 10-7. Massimo Roco was hitting with authority, and he helped maintain the home team's advantage. That was until they hit 13, which was where the Soaring Eagles caught back up. The hosts remained on top just barely, but the visitors were close behind. Roco smacked down a kill to make it 19-16, leading to an Elmira timeout. Unlike the previous two sets, Elmira did not dominate coming out of the stoppage. The Scarlet Raiders finished out the set to get on the board and send the match to a fourth.

The Scarlet Raiders carried their momentum in the fourth set, creating a four point gap early. They held onto their multiple point lead longer than either team had done so far in the match, and at 14-9 it looked like the two teams might be headed for a fifth set. Rutgers-Newark took full control, and at 20-14 Elmira took a timeout to try and break up their rhythm.

The visitors did get a slight bump after the break, and even though they found themselves down 24-20, they put up four in a row to stay in the set. However, the Scarlet Raiders were on a mission, and they took the very next two points to win the set 26-24 and send the match to a fifth!

Rutgers-Newark took the first five points of the final set, and they were riding high into Elmira's timeout. The Soaring Eagles finally got a point after the Scarlet Raiders' sixth, and they built their way back into contention. At 9-7, Gabriel Staron hit an ace, forcing the home team to take a timeout of their own. The visitors tied it at 9-9 after the break, but Rutgers-Newark jumped right back in front, and this time for good. The Scarlet Raiders came back from being down 2-0 to pull the rug out from underneath the Soaring Eagles!

Up Next
The Scarlet Raiders will rest during the week and pick back up next Saturday, March 22nd. They will travel down to Buena Vista, VA to participate in a tri-match against Southern Virginia and Virginia Wesleyan at 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM, respectively.

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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