Box Score Oct. 11, 2014 Final Stats
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. (Oct. 11, 2014) - In its second match of the weekend, the Rutgers volleyball team fell to No. 23 Minnesota in a three-set decision on Saturday night at the Sports Pavilion. It marked the fourth ranked opponent the Scarlet Knights have gone up against in the last five matches.
"We need to find a way to come out ready to play," said head coach CJ Werneke. "We get off to a slow start at the beginning of matches and always find ourselves playing catch up. That is a tough way to play. Until we figure that out, we will continue to have the same results."
Freshman outside Meme Fletcher (Overland Park, Kan.) led the team with five kills, along with posting three digs and an ace. Sophomore middle Lauren Cloyd (Champaign, Ill.) registered a team-high three blocks in the match.
Minnesota was paced by junior outside Daly Santana with 15 kills, while sophomore Katie Schau put up a team-high 29 assists.
After dropping the first set, 8-23, Rutgers began to settle into the match. The Scarlet Knights started the second set 4-5, before the Gophers jumped to a 10-5 lead. Led by an ace and a kill from Fletcher, Rutgers was able to move the count to 14-18. RU tacked on three more points, before Minnesota sealed the second, 25-17.
Moving into the third, RU held control of the lead, jumping to 4-2 on a four-point run. Minnesota tied the count four times, but Rutgers broke away to a 15-12 lead on an ace by freshman setter Talia Holze (Wheaton, Ill.). The Gophers responded with six straight points, moving in front, 18-16.The Scarlet Knights kept the deficit to at least three, but were unable to regain the lead they had created early in the set. Rutgers dropped set three by a close 21-25 margin, falling to Minnesota.
Rutgers returns home on Friday, Oct. 17, hosting Michigan at the College Ave. Gym for a 7 p.m. match.
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