Box Score SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (September 5, 2014) - The Rutgers women's volleyball team swept Siena (25-11, 25-20, 25-21) in its first match of the Seton Hall Tournament on Friday afternoon.
"It was a great match for our team today. We came out in set one and played nearly flawless volleyball. We were in sync and in rhythm, showing what the team is capable of," said head coach CJ Werneke. "When things didn't go our way we still found a way to pull through. Overall, I was very impressed by the team's chemistry and their perseverance to come out with the win."
Rutgers moves to a record of 3-1, marking the team's best start since the 2012 season. It is also the first sweep for the Scarlet Knights since RU defeated Kent State in the 2013 season opener.
Freshman outside Meme Fletcher (Overland Park, Kan.) paced Rutgers with a career-high 14 kills, followed by junior outside Alex Lassa (Eagle, Colo.) with 10 kills. Junior setter Anna Sudbury (Tomahawk, Wis.) recorded 20 assists before freshman setter Talia Holze (Wheaton, Ill.) stepped in in the third set, recording a career-high 20 assists of her own.
Defensively, junior libero Ali Schroeter (Bakersfield, Calif.) tied her season-high with 19 digs to lead the Scarlet Knights.
Siena was led by senior outside Rachel Stoklosa, who registered eight kills, five digs and two blocks.
Rutgers made a strong statement by jumping to a 16-3 lead to start the match. The Scarlet Knights never let up their control, taking the first set 25-11.
In set two, Rutgers and Siena rallied from the onset. Siena moved ahead 5-4 for its second and final lead of the set, before RU grabbed five-straight points to bring the score to 9-5. Siena kept it a close set, never trailing by more than four points. Ultimately, the Scarlet Knights grabbed the win 25-20 to move into the third set with a 2-0 advantage.
Set three proved to be an exciting rally. Rutgers and Siena remained neck-and-neck the entire set, with RU reaching the biggest lead at 16-11. With the score tied 17-17, Rutgers and Siena continued to trade points up until the final plays. The Scarlet Knights were able to hold of the Saints, closing the set 25-21 to seal the victory.
Rutgers is back in action tomorrow, facing in-state rival and host Seton Hall at Noon and Cornell at 4:30 p.m.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding women's volleyball, follow the program on Twitter @RUvball.
-RU-
