The Mountaineers (17-12, 6-7 BIG EAST) defeated the Scarlet Knights (10-18, 3-10) by scores of 25-23, 25-23, 25-14. WVU leads the all-time series against RU by a 22-19 mark.

 

Rutgers head coach CJ Werneke was pleased with his team’s defensive efforts but considered the squad’s unforced errors their “nemesis” in the contest.

 

“I thought we played well in the first two sets but our inconsistency on our attack doomed us,” said Werneke. “We couldn’t get on the same page offensively. Our defense kept us in the first two sets and we were a couple plays away from being up 2-0. We weren’t clicking at the start of the third set and when you fall behind 14-4, it’s tough to come back from that.”

 

Three Scarlet Knights scooped double-digit digs, led by senior libero Jamie Godfrey’s (Rahway, N.J.) match-high 23. Godfrey’s 23 digs puts her career total at 936 to move into seventh place on the school’s career list. The co-captain’s 421 digs this season ranks second in RU’s single season record book, trailing only former Scarlet Knight Shayla Bush (463).

 

Junior Emma Chrystal (Kalamazoo, Mich.) and senior Kyra Thompson (Tuscon, Ariz.) each tallied 10 digs. Chrystal also contributed offensively with six kills and four assists.

 

 Thompson’s 10 digs increases her career total to 923 to remain eighth on RU’s career list.

 

Junior Caitlin Saxton (Encinitas, Calif.) swatted a team-best seven kills. The BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll selection leads Rutgers in kills this season with 371.

 

Freshman Stephanie Zielinski (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) led the squad in assists with 21.

 

Junior middle blocker Lauren Evans highlighted the contest for the Mountaineers as she scored match highs of eight kills and eight total blocks.

 

Rutgers will close out the regular season on Sunday at Pittsburgh in the Fitzgerald Field House. First serve is set for 1 p.m.