Following their undefeated regular season, Rutgers University-Newark dominated the 2022 Continental Volleyball Conference All-Conference awards. The Scarlet Raiders took home four of five top individual awards and had five players named All-Conference.
Headlining this year's awards is junior right-side Andrew Zaleck as the 2022 CVC Player of the Year. Zaleck led all players in kills per set, averaging 4.48 during conference play. He totaled 94 kills in his seven conference matches, hitting .350 while adding 12 aces. His 113 total points were the 3rd most in conference play and he once again led all players at 5.4 points per set. He is just the second Scarlet Raider in program history to win the award, joining Cody Chidsey in 2015.
For the first time in conference history, the CVC Setter of the Year goes to someone other than Kean's Ian Capp. The 2022 CVC Setter of the Year is Derek Au, a sophomore from Rutgers-Newark. After making just one start last year, Au broke out this season, averaging 11.05 assists per set and totaling 232 assists in just six conference matches. Au led the conference in assists per set and overall recorded matches this season with 40 or more assists.
Matt Nikishin claims the 2022 CVC Libero of the Year award. A junior at Rutgers-Newark Nikishin becomes the first Scarlet Raider to win the award. He finished with 56 digs in conference play, leading all players, and averaged 1.93 digs per set. In all, he had seven double-digit dig matches this year including a high of 21.
The final award the Scarlet Raiders take home is the 2022 CVC Coach of the Year, which goes to head coach Jack Wilson. In his third season at the helm, Wilson led the Scarlet Raiders to an undefeated season at 8-0, just the fourth full undefeated season in conference history. The Scarlet Raiders finished the regular season at 20-3 overall and ranked #5 in the nation. He joins Pedro Trevino as the only Scarlet Raiders head coach to win the award.
The final individual award is the 2022 CVC Rookie of the Year, Rajheem Meulens. Meulens, a freshman outside hitter from Kean, recorded 65 kills, 16 digs, and 4 blocks in his eight conference matches. He averaged 2.18 kills and 0.53 digs per set, totaling 71 points while ranking 10th in the league with a .277 hitting percentage. Meulens becomes the first Cougar in program history to be named the Rookie of the Year.
|
||||
| 2022 CVC All-Conference First Team | ||||
| Derek Au | Rutgers-Newark | Sophomore | ||
| Kevin Duffy | Juniata | Senior | ||
| Arvind Kumar | Rutgers-Newark | Junior | ||
| Daniel Quay | Rutgers-Newark | Junior | ||
| Nahuel Recabarren | Southern Virginia | Senior | ||
| Kaipo Tagaloa | Southern Virginia | Senior | ||
| Andrew Zaleck | Rutgers-Newark | Junior | ||
|
||||
| 2022 CVC All-Conference Second Team | ||||
| Duncan Beilke | Kean | Senior | ||
| Tyler Goldsborough | Juniata | Sophomore | ||
| Luke Hoffman | Juniata | Sophomore | ||
| Hayden Kerekes | Marymount | Junior | ||
| Drew Klein | Randolph-Macon | Sophomore | ||
| Jason Perkins | Marymount | Senior | ||
| Raymond Tarasi | Marymount | Senior | ||
| McKay Walker | Southern Virginia | Junior | ||
|
||||
| 2022 CVC All-Conference Third Team | ||||
| Paul Candland | Southern Virginia | Senior | ||
| Kolby Gibson | Randolph-Macon | Junior | ||
| Rajheem Meulens | Kean | Freshman | ||
| Matt Nikishin | Rutgers-Newark | Junior | ||
| Will Phelan | Juniata | Junior | ||
| Steve Swain | Elizabethtown | Junior | ||