SPRINGFIELD, MA — The No. 16 Rutgers–Newark  men's volleyball team went toe-to-toe with the nation's top team Wednesday night, pushing No. 1 Springfield College to five sets before falling 3-2 in an electric battle at Blake Arena.

Rutgers came out firing in the opening set, hitting .333 on the way to a 25-23 victory. With the game even at 23, kills from Massimo Rock and Michael Suarez gave the Scarlet Raiders the late edge to steal the opener. 

The Raiders kept the offensive pressure on in the second, once again hitting .333 and taking the set in less dramatic fashion. Their efficiency and balanced attack kept Springfield on its heels as Rutgers grabbed a commanding 2-0 lead against the top-ranked Pride.

Springfield refused to back down in the third set, battling back and finding a way to even the score at 24-24. This time, however, two late kills from the Pride flipped the momentum and handed the home team its first set of the night. That spark carried into the fourth, where Springfield hit an impressive .517 en route to a 25-19 win to force a decisive fifth set.

In the final frame, seven attack errors proved costly for the Scarlet Raiders. Springfield capitalized on the miscues and closed the match out 15-9 to complete the comeback.

Despite the loss, Rutgers-Newark showed why it belongs among the nation's elite. Suarez's 15 kills paced the offense, while Aleks Kołodziej continued his dominant stretch with 14 kills on a blistering .520 hitting percentage while adding four blocks at the net.

The Scarlet Raiders will have a week to rest before returning to the Golden Dome to host Lancaster Bible College on March 5th. 

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