NEWARK, NJ - The CMSV men's volleyball team participated in the Golden Dome Classic on Saturday afternoon, taking on defending national champions Stevens Tech and Rutgers-Newark, both nationally ranked in the preseason AVCA coaches poll. The Dolphins took one set from the defending champions Ducks, but fell 3-1 and were swept by the Scarlet Raiders 3-0, dropping the Dolphins to 0-4 early in the 2016 season.
Stevens Tech 3 CMSV 1 (25-10, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19)The Ducks dominated play early in the first set taking control scoring 12 of 14 points at one point to take a 3-3 tie to a 15-5 lead. Stevens was stellar totaling 14 kills, while hitting .571%.
The second set went back-and-forth early on but with the set tied 4-4, Stevens once again overwhelmed the Dolphins rattling off eight of 10 points to take a 12-6 lead. The Dolphins would cut the lead to 20-16 after a block by
Neven Skoblar and
Tyler Cucullu but Stevens would win five of the next six to take a 2-0 set lead.
In the third set, the Dolphins had their best sustained attack, hitting .238%, while totaling nine kills. Early on the Dolphins jumped out to a 6-2 lead thanks to great serves by Cucullu, including three aces. The Ducks would respond to take a 16-14 lead but CMSV wouldn't give in winning five of the next six points on the great serving of Skoblar to take a 19-17 lead. They would secure the set win with a four point run led by the strong attack play of
Owen Smith and Cucullu who combined for three kills in a row.
The fourth set started off with the Dolphins taking an 8-6 lead but Stevens would respond to take a 15-11 lead and would not look back. CMSV would rally to pull within four points but Stevens would prevail 25-19.
Rutgers-Newark 3 CMSV 0 (25-9, 25-13, 25-11)Rutgers-Newark would control the match in all three sets, hitting .471% in the first, .292% in the second and .565% in the third, while the Dolphins managed just two positive hitting percentages in the second and third.
The Dolphins return to action next weekend when they will take on three more nationally ranked teams in a tournament in Elmira, NY.
