The championship match for the 2018 CVC Tournament is set and will pit Kean University against Marymount University, pitting the top two seeds of the tournament against each other.
Eastern Mennonite vs. Kean University - BOX SCORE
Host and top-seeded Kean University dispersed of Eastern Mennonite University in the first semifinal game of the night. The Cougars won 25-15, 25-17, 25-22 in their first-ever match of the CVC Tournament. Eastern Mennonite and Kean played it close in the opening moments of each of the first two sets before Kean was able to put together runs and open up a solid lead. Eastern Mennonite trailed 8-6 after a kill from Tim Callahan but the Cougars opened the set up by scoring eight of the next ten points en route to a 25-15 win. With the score at 12-11 in the second set, the Cougars rolled off seven straight points to take a commanding lead and cruise to a 25-17 win. EMU showed their resolve despite dropping the first two sets and came out in the third set on a roll, grabbing a 12-6 lead. Kean used three straight kills to get back into the match and capped their run with an ace from Shayron Taylor to close the score to 13-11. Kean evened it up at 18 and after an EMU error took the lead and never looked back for a 25-22 win.
- Kean extends their winning streak to 26 matches.
- William Ragland led EMU with nine kills.
- Nicholas Buseski had a match-high 14 kills for Kean.
- Kean hit .261 in the match while EMU hit .035.
Rutgers-Newark vs. Marymount - BOX SCORE
After a three-set Marymount sweep over Rutgers-Newark during the regular season, the Saints and Scarlet Raiders played a much tighter match on Friday night in the second semifinals match of the 2018 CVC Tournament. The two teams were separated by just one point in the first set when the Scarlet Raiders scored four straight to grab a 10-5 lead after a Justin Sandy ace. The Scarlet Raiders led 20-18 but the Saints tallied four straight, capped by a TJ Wiechecki kill. The score was 25 all when Sam Safley gave the Saints the lead for good, going on for a 27-25 win. The next set saw Rutgers-Newark move out to a 12-5 lead, scoring nearly as many aces (4) as the Saints did points. Rutgers-Newark would carry the lead for the majority of the set, including a lead as large as eight points before closing the set out for a 25-22 win. The third set saw the Saints down 16-12 before eventually tying it up at 18-18 on a dump ball by setter Erich Bratke. Just like in the first set it was Safley that gave the Saints the lead for good, putting down back-to-back kills to tie the score and then give the lead to his team. Marymount shook off their slumber in the fourth set, scoring the first five points and building up a 10-3 lead.
- Marymount's win is their first tournament win in program history.
- Rutgers-Newark finished with eight service aces, one short of their season-high
- After hitting .183 in the first three sets of the match, Marymount hit .423 in the fourth and final set.
- Corey Pieper led Rutgers-Newark with 18 kills.