Columbus, Ohio (Nov. 8, 2014) - Facing its second ranked opponent on the weekend, the Rutgers women's volleyball team was swept by No. 18 Ohio State on Saturday night at the St. John Arena. The Buckeyes took the win by set scores of 25-9, 25-18 and 25-13.

Rutgers (7-20, 0-14 Big Ten) was led by junior outside Alex Lassa (Eagle, Colo.) and sophomore middle Lauren Cloyd (Champaign, Ill.), tying for the team-high with six kills apiece. Defensively, junior libero Ali Schroeter (Bakersfield, Calif.) paced the squad with nine digs.

Ohio State (18-8, 9-5 Big Ten) was paced by junior outside Elizabeth Campbell with 11 kills, followed by senior outside Erin Sekinger with 10 of her own. Sophomore libero Valeria Leon and freshman outside Luisa Schirmer tied for the team lead with seven digs each.

At the start of set one, the Buckeyes commanded an early lead, generating a score of 11-1. Four different Scarlet Knights were able to knock down kills with Lassa pacing the squad with two. Senior middle Rachel Andreassian (Fredricksburg, Texas) and sophomore middles Micaela Anderson (La Canada, Calif.) and Cloyd added on a kill each, but it was not enough to start up RU's offense. Ohio State earned a 25-9 first set win to start the match.

Moving into the second set, Rutgers found its rhythm. The Scarlet Knights kept the count balanced from the onset, as the Buckeyes struggled to maintain their early momentum. Ahead by one with a score of 8-7, Ohio State created the biggest margin of the set at 12-7. RU stumped OSU's run with a timeout and a point, but the Buckeyes responded with three straight tallies to bring their lead to 15-8. The Scarlet Knights began to pick up speed, cutting the deficit to 21-16. RU continued to add points to the board, but ultimately fell, 25-18, in set two.

With two set wins under its belt, Ohio State maintained its control of the match, starting set three with a 9-2 lead. Rutgers never let up, staying aggressive in the set. A kill by junior middle Mikaela Matthews (San Diego, Calif.) brought RU's count to double digits to being the score to 17-10 OSU. The Buckeyes responded with five straight points, expanding their lead to 22-10. The Scarlet Knights attempted to close the gap, but Ohio State closed the set and the match with a 25-13 win in the third set.

Rutgers continues its road swing, traveling to Indiana for its second weekday contest of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Match is set for a 7 p.m. start.

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