Rutgers-Newark opened the week with a thrilling five-set victory over No. 2 Stevens Institute of Technology inside The Golden Dome. After dropping the second and third sets, the Scarlet Raiders responded with poise, forcing a fifth set and closing it out behind a balanced offensive attack. The team finished with 67 kills while hitting .317, led by Michael Suarez's 19 kills. Aleks Kołodziej added 13 kills, Massimo Rocco chipped in 12, and setter Duncan Sturt directed the offense with 54 assists in the signature win.

Rutgers-Newark carried that momentum into conference play, sweeping Drew University on the road to secure its first Continental Volleyball Conference (CVC) victory of the season. The Scarlet Raiders set the tone early with a 25-11 opening set and never looked back. Harry Takyi and Kołodziej each recorded 11 kills while hitting over .400, and Sturt added 33 assists and seven digs in another efficient performance.

The 2-0 week against strong competition helped push Rutgers-Newark into the national spotlight at No. 16 in the AVCA rankings, reflecting the team's continued growth and consistency on both sides of the net.

Rutgers will start the week with another national test, traveling to face off against No. 1 Springfield College in a marquee matchup with major national implications.

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