NEWARK, N.J. – The Arcadia University men's volleyball team dropped a tightly contested five-set match to Rutgers-Newark in the opening contest of Saturday's tri-match, falling 3-2 by set scores of 25-23, 25-17, 25-27, 20-25, and 15-9. After claiming the first two sets, the Knights (0-2) came within one point of a sweep, but the host Scarlet Raiders rallied to force a fourth set and ultimately took the match in the decisive fifth.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET ONE: Arcadia 25 – Rutgers-Newark 23
• Arcadia jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead behind kills from Luka Erickson, Josh Clendening, and Reece Dodd. Another kill from Clendening and a block by Riley Kodidek pushed the Knights' advantage to 9-4.
• Rutgers-Newark answered with a 5-1 run to cut the lead to 10-9.
• Blocks and kills from Dodd, along with finishes by Cameron Birch, Clendening, and Erickson, gave Arcadia a 19-16 lead.
• A 5-0 run by Rutgers-Newark put the Scarlet Raiders in front 21-19, but a kill from Dodd paired with Rutgers-Newark errors fueled a 4-0 Arcadia run to close out the set, 25-23.
SET TWO: Arcadia 25 – Rutgers-Newark 17
• The Knights once again surged early, opening a 6-2 lead as Tucker Curtis and Clendening recorded kills. A kill from Aidan Mackowiak sparked a 6-1 run to extend the margin to 12-4.
• A kill from Kodidek, an ace by Erickson, and a Rutgers-Newark error pushed the lead to 15-5.
• The Scarlet Raiders attempted to rally, cutting the deficit to 17-10, but kills from Dodd, Erickson, and Clendening finished off the set and gave Arcadia a 2-0 match lead.
SET THREE: Arcadia 25 – Rutgers-Newark 27
• Two kills from Clendening and one from Kodidek helped Arcadia take an early 4-1 lead, while back-to-back kills from Kodidek and Mackowiak made it 7-5.
• Rutgers-Newark claimed its first lead at 8-7, but Arcadia responded with a 7-2 run to go ahead 14-10 behind a Kodidek block, an ace from Erickson, and kills from Dodd and Curtis.
• Erickson later delivered a kill to give the Knights match point, but Rutgers-Newark fought off the chance and closed the set on a 3-0 run to extend the match.
SET FOUR: Arcadia 20 – Rutgers-Newark 25
• The teams traded points early, with Rutgers-Newark holding a 4-3 edge before Arcadia used a 3-0 run, highlighted by a Mackowiak ace and an Erickson kill, to take a 6-4 lead.
• Both teams exchanged runs until a 5-1 surge by Rutgers-Newark put the Scarlet Raiders ahead 16-13.
• Clendening added another kill, but Rutgers-Newark closed the set at 25-20 to force a fifth set.
SET FIVE: Arcadia 9 – Rutgers-Newark 15
• Rutgers-Newark opened the final set with two 3-0 runs, with a Clendening kill separating the bursts to make it 6-1.
• Dodd recorded an ace and Clendening added a kill to trim the deficit to 7-4.
• Kodidek and Clendening supplied Arcadia's final points, but a late 3-0 run by Rutgers-Newark sealed the match.
KNIGHT LEADERS VS. RUTGERS-NEWARK
Kills – Clendening (15), Kodidek (8), Dodd (8)
Aces – Dodd (2), Erickson (2), Kodidek (1)
Blocks – Kodidek (3), Curtis (3), Dodd (3)
Assists – Kodidek (26), Mackowiak (6), Curtis (2)
Digs – Kodidek (12), Mackowiak (9), Birch (8)
In the nightcap of the tri-match, Arcadia fell to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in straight sets, 3-0, by scores of 25-18, 25-19, and 25-17. The Knights (0-3) were led by Tucker Curtis, who tallied a team-high 17 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. Riley Kodidek recorded 20 assists, while Luka Erickson led the team with three blocks and added two aces.
KNIGHT LEADERS VS. MIT
Kills – Curtis (17), Erickson (7), Mackowiak (7)
Aces – Erickson (2)
Blocks – Erickson (3), Kodidek (2), Bryce Lewis (2)
Assists – Kodidek (20), Mackowiak (5), Birch (4)
Digs – Curtis (10), Kodidek (9), Erickson (9)
UP NEXT
The Knights return home on Friday evening for a nonconference matchup, welcoming New York University to Glenside.
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