Box Score Oct. 21, 2014 COLLEGE PARK, MD. (Oct. 21, 2014) - In a five-set thriller, the Rutgers women's volleyball team was topped by Maryland on Tuesday night at the XFINITY Center Pavilion. The Scarlet Knights posted their first set wins in conference play, but ultimately fell to the Terps by scores of 25-20, 20-25, 25-22, 22-25 and 15-8.
"In set one, we came out and set the tone early and executed our game plan. We worked and won set one," said head coach CJ Werneke. "In set two, we had some opportunities, but made uncharacteristic errors at inopportune moments. Give Maryland credit, they put more pressure on us than they had in the previous sets and we let set three get away from us.
"I was proud to see how we battled back and forth in set four and came back from behind to force a game five. Game five didn't go our way, as we didn't play as aggressive as we had been. We will make some adjustments in the next four days, since we face Maryland again on Saturday. I am looking forward to processing this as a staff, understanding the good and the bad and moving on to the next match."
Registering team season-highs in nearly every category, sophomore middle Lauren Cloyd (Champaign, Ill.) led the squad in kills with an individual season-high of 13. Freshman outside Meme Fletcher (Overland Park, Kan.) posted the sixth double-double of her rookie season with 12 kills and 11 digs.
Defensively, junior middle Mikaela Matthews (San Diego, Calif.) registered a season-high 10 blocks. Junior libero Ali Schroeter (Bakersfield, Kan.) paced the squad with 20 digs.
Leading Maryland, Ashleigh Crutcher posted 22 kills, while sophomore setter Whitney Craigo put up a team-high 20 assists.
Set one started off as a rally with both teams exchanging points from the onset. Maryland took control of the set, maintaining at least a two point lead over Rutgers. The Terps found their largest margin at 15-10, but the Scarlet Knights never let up. A kill by Fletcher ignited the squad, sending them on a three-point run to tie the set, 18-18. A ball handling error by the Terps followed by a point from Matthews gave the Scarlet Knights a 20-18 lead that they never relinquished. Senior middle Rachel Andreassian (Fredricksberg, Texas) delivered the final strike to give Rutgers its first set win (25-22) in Big Ten play.
Moving into the second set, Maryland responded by jumping to a 4-1 lead. The Terps maintained its early momentum, extending the score to 14-9. A stop by Matthews cut the deficit to two with the Terps up 18-16. Alex Lassa knocked down a kill to put RU ahead in the count, 21-20. The teams traded points into the final plays, but Maryland edged Rutgers, taking set two by a score of 25-22.
With the match tied 1-1, Rutgers and Maryland fought it out at the start of set three. Rutgers broke away to an 11-7 lead on a service ace from Fletcher. Maryland maintained its fight, tacking on three straight points to tie the score at 14-14. Trading points back and forth, the Scarlet Knights held control, until the Terps created an 18-16 margin. Rutgers continued to add on points, but Maryland closed the set, 25-20.
The battle continued as the count remained balanced well into set four. A block by junior middle Eden Frazier (Irvine, Calif.) sent RU on a three point run, bringing the score to 16-13. The Terps were able to tie up the score at 16-16, generating another intense rally. An ace from Bayer put RU up, 23-19. The Scarlet Knights finished the set with a score of 25-20 to stay alive in the match.
Set five held the same pace, until Maryland moved to an 8-3 lead. Down 12-5, a kill by Frazier cut the margin in half. Ultimately, the Terps maintained their drive, pushing to a 15-8 win in the fifth to earn their first Big Ten victory.
Maryland will return the visit this Saturday, Oct. 25, traveling to the College Ave. Gym for a 7 p.m. match.
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