NEWARK, N.J.  (Mar. 25, 2011) – Rutgers-Newark held the Saint Francis men's volleyball team to a .136 hitting percentage in a pivotal EIVA Tait match to hand the Red Flash a 3-0 defeat on Friday night at The Golden Dome.

Freshman Logan Patterson had a team-high eight kills, but Kenneth de Groh had seven of the Scarlet Raiders' 13 service aces to help them clinch an EIVA Tournament berth with a 25-21, 25-23, 25-21 win over SFU.

 

The Red Flash fell to 8-11 overall, and 2-5 in the league with the loss and will return to action with a 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon tilt at Princeton. Rutgers-Newark improved to 14-7 overall and 4-4 in the EIVA Tait.

 

Junior Ryan Williams (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) had 25 assists, and junior John Skarupa (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegehny) added six kills and five blocks for SFU.

 

Austin Pappas had a match-high nine kills along with three aces and three blocks for the Raiders, who also got seven kills, an ace and a pair of assisted blocks by Marcin Midura.

 

In game one, Midura had three kills while de Groh deliver three of his aces as the Raiders held off Saint Francis by scoring four of the final five points of the frame.  A de Groh ace gave Rutgers-Newark a 24-20 lead before Midura finished the set with a kill.

 

In a nip-and-tuck second game, Skarupa notched four kills and Patterson, three, as the Red Flash pushed the Raiders to the edge.  Back-to-back kills by Patterson knotted the score at 23-23 before Metheny and de Groh ended the frame with a pair of kills.

 

The Raiders delivered six of their 13 aces in the third set with Pappas notching three and de Groh, two, to finish the sweep.

 

For all the latest information, notes, pictures and related links on Saint Francis men's volleyball, follow Director of Athletic Communications Bob Volkert on Twitter (@SFUVolkert) and check www.SFUathletics.com. The Red Flash are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SFUAthletics.