Rutgers University
Long Island
Late Comeback Not Enough for Rutgers Volleyball
Sep 17 | Women's Volleyball
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (September 17, 2011) – Rutgers University volleyball saved match point six times in the third set, but that was not enough as the Scarlet Knights dropped its finale of the Hampton Inn Classic, 3-0, to Long Island University on Saturday on the campus of Penn State University.
Sophomore Brittany Bozzini (Saratoga, Calif.) led Rutgers (6-10) with 12 kills on the afternoon to go with 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Junior setter Stephanie Zielinski (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) also recorded a double-double with 35 assists and 11 digs.
“We had some more adversity today, but I thought we responded well to yet another lineup,” said head coach CJ Werneke after the match.
Rutgers dropped the first two sets and was down, 24-20, in the third set, but responded to win the next five points to continue to the match. RU had several chances of their own to clinch the third, but the Blackbirds (4-9) kept the set going, eventually winning the finale, 34-32. It was the longest set of the season for the Scarlet Knights.
Senior libero Kallie Pence (College Station, Texas) led the Scarlet Knights with 14 digs.
“We continue to learn more about ourselves and see what we are made of,” said Werneke summarizing the weekend. “I saw more good things than bad this weekend, but we have to continue to put our best foot forward each and every day of practice and treat every practice like it is a day of competition.”
Rutgers will now prepare for its BIG EAST opener on Friday, Sept. 23 at West Virginia.
