NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ – The Rutgers University volleyball team (9-11, 4-3 BIG EAST) earned another BIG EAST victory, sweeping (31-29, 33-31, 30-22) the Villanova Wildcats (16-5, 5-2 BIG EAST) on Saturday, Oct. 15, at the College Avenue Gymnasium.
The Scarlet Knights showed great toughness and strength winning the first two games in extra points (31-29 and 33-31). RU’s defense was outstanding as they out-blocked Villanova 12-5 and held the Wildcats to a .144 attack percentage for the match.
Junior Lora Yankauskas (Paramus, NJ) posted her seventh double-double of the season, as she led the Scarlet Knights with 17 kills and a match-high 17 digs. Senior Courtney Stout (San Marcos, CA) also contributed to RU’s effort as she registered her eighth double-double of the year with 10 kills and 10 digs.
Freshman Roxy Calder (Oceanside, CA) and junior Tamarie Macon (Fayetteville, NC) helped orchestrate the Scarlet Knight offense, sharing time at the setter position. Calder notched a team-leading 24 assists, followed by Macon with 15 assists. Calder also added seven digs, while Macon posted three block assists.
On the defensive front, sophomore Amanda Meyer (Naperville, IL) led the way with seven total blocks (two solo, five assists), followed by senior Ashleigh Young (Albany, OR) with five block assists and Stout with four block assists.
Junior Jocelyn Greenwald (Old Tappan, NJ) registered 15 defensive digs, while freshman Kyra Thompson (Tucson, AZ) chipped in 11.
“Having a great home crowd today was huge. They were fantastic and gave us great energy,” said interim head coach Orlando Gonzalez. “We were able to execute of game plan very well and if we continue to play this way, we’ll be a very competitive team.”
Alona Cherkez led Villanova’s offense with 20 kills, while Jenna Link recorded a team-leading 42 assists. Defensively, Megan Bye had a team-high 14 digs, followed by Celine Nguyen with 13.
The Scarlet Knights will return to action on Friday, Oct. 21, when they take on intrastate and BIG EAST rival Seton Hall at 7:00 p.m.
