Box Score Oct. 14, 2015 Final Stats
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (Oct. 14, 2015) - In a nationally televised contest, the Rutgers volleyball team pushed No. 23 Michigan to the brink, suffering a four-set loss on Wednesday night at the Cliff Keen Arena. After dropping the first two sets, the Scarlet Knights sealed a comeback win in set three to stay alive. A wire-to-wire battle ensued in the waning serves of set four, as UM dealt the final point to come away with the win.
Michigan improved to an overall mark of 14-4 and a conference record of 4-3, while Rutgers dropped to 3-16 and remains in search of a league victory.
Three Scarlet Knights finished the match with double-digits in the kills column, guided by a double-double from sophomore outside Meme Fletcher (Overland Park, Kan.) with 13 kills and 14 digs. Junior right side Lauren Cloyd (Champaign, Ill.) added in 12 kills, while senior outside Megan Stephenson (Burbank, Calif.) contributed 10 of her own. Senior setter Anna Sudbury (Tomahawk, Wisc.) added a match-high 43 assists.
Michigan was led by Abby Cole with 15 kills in the win, followed by Carly Skjodt and Krystalyn Goode with 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Lindsey Lerg registered a match-high 16 digs, while Skjodt led the match with five blocks.
Despite RU and UM trading points to open the match, Michigan went on to a 4-0 run to break away to a 9-5 advantage. Rutgers responded with a 5-1 run of its own to balance the score again at 10-10. Although the Wolverines would move in front 13-10, RU would not back down. Five different Scarlet Knights contributed kills to keep the margin within three, as a kill from Stephenson would eventually set the score at 16-15. . Ultimately, the Wolverines used their momentum and a late run to claim the set 25-18.
Michigan carried its momentum into set two, jumping to a 6-2 lead. A kill from the arm of senior middle Eden Frazier (Irvine, Calif.) stumped the run and within the next few serves a kill from Cloyd brought RU's deficit to 9-5. The Scarlet Knights kept it within four until the Wolverines took control of the scoreboard, taking the second set 25-12.
Although Michigan found a 13-6 advantage to open set three, a resilient Rutgers generated a 6-0 run led by Frazier and Fletcher to bring RU within one, 13-12. UM held its edge, but not for long, as RU tied the score 18-18 on two consecutive kills from Cloyd. The tables officially turned as a Wolverine miscue put the Scarlet Knights up in the count 19-18. UM balanced the score on the following serve, but it did not stump RU. The Scarlet Knights ran away with a 6-2 surge, capped by a tremendous block from Trimble and Frazier to seal the comeback win, 25-21.
Set four began just as the previous sets, as the Wolverines took the lead from the onset, 6-3, but once again Rutgers rallied back. With the score at 12-9, RU found yet another surge, highlighted by consecutive services aces from Fletcher to give Rutgers the lead at 13-12. The Scarlet Knights continued to extend their lead to 17-13 before the Wolverines found a 5-1 burst to tie the count at 18-18, igniting a wire-to-wire battle between the squads. RU and UM kept the score even in the final moments, as a kill from Fletcher set the count at 23-23. In the end, Michigan added the final two points to claim the fourth, 25-23, and the victory.
KNIGHT NOTES
- Rutgers made its second appearance on the Big Ten Network. The Scarlet Knights made their debut last season on Oct. 21, 2015 in a five-set thriller at Maryland.
- RU has competed against a ranked opponent in five out of its six last matchups, including Illinois (No. 9), Purdue (No. 18), Wisconsin (No. 16), Minnesota (No. 11) and Michigan (No. 23).
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics ) and (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding women's volleyball, follow the program on Twitter @RUvball.
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