New Brunswick, N.J. (Sept. 12, 2015) -- Taking the court at the College Avenue Gym for the first time this season, the Rutgers volleyball team split its matches on day one of the Rutgers Invitational. The Scarlet Knights grabbed a victory in their home opener on Friday night, defeating Howard, 3-1, before falling to Princeton in three sets.
Junior right side Lauren Cloyd (Champaign, Ill.) led the squad in the kills column, tallying a total of 22 kills on the day. Anna Sudbury led the Scarlet Knights with 59 assists, as well as 21 digs.
GAME ONE -- Rutgers 3, Howard 1
In its first game of the day, Rutgers defeated Howard, 3-1, by set scores of 25-23, 21-25, 25-22 and 25-13.
Cloyd led the Scarlet Knights with a season-high 14 kills, a mark that led all hitters in the match. Sudbury contributed another match-high for RU with 42 assists, while also leading the Scarlet Knights with 19 digs.
Howard was led by Katherine Broussard with 12 kills, while Tamia Dockery added 16 assists.
The contest went back and forth early. There were nine lead changes in the first 18 volleys. Howard moved in front, 15-11, however, Rutgers battled back to regain the lead 20-19 on a kill from junior outside Micaela Anderson (La Canada, Calif.). The Scarlet Knights would outscore the Bison 5-4 to finish the set with a 25-23 victory.
Howard jumped ahead to a quick 6-3 lead in the second set. Rutgers rallied back in the first half of the set, tying the match at 13-13 thanks to a kill from senior middle Eden Frazier (Irvine, Calif.). The teams once again traded points. Rutgers won the next point to go up 17-16, but Howard found a surge. The Bison would regain the lead, 18-17, that they would never relinquish for a 25-21 victory in the second set.
Although Howard generated a 12-9 edge, Rutgers responded with seven unanswered points to take the lead,16-12. Howard would come as close as 23-21, but the Scarlet Knights held off the Bison to close the third set with a 25-22 win.
In the fourth set, Rutgers got hot early and never looked back. The Scarlet Knights led for the entire stanza and cruised to their third win of the season with a 25-13 victory in the final set and a match score of 3-1.
GAME TWO -- Princeton 3, Rutgers 0
Rutgers' second match of the day featured a matchup with the Princeton Tigers, in which the Scarlet Knights suffered a three-set loss.
Cloyd led the team in kills for the second time with eight kills in the match. Junior right side Cole Trimble (Orlando, Fla.) followed with five kills of her own. Sudbury paced the team with 17 assists in the game, while freshman Bree Coffey (Cary, Ill.) led the Scarlet Knights with seven digs.
Princeton was led by Kendall Peterkin and Cara Mattaliano who collected 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Lauren Miller and Claire Nussbaum tallied 17 and 15 assists and were the only Tigers in double digits for that category.
The Tigers came out roaring, moving ahead, 8-1, early in the match. The Scarlet Knights tried to tame Princeton, but could not overcome the early deficit, falling to Princeton, 25-14, in the first set. In set two, Rutgers answered back with a 4-1 start. However, Princeton would go on to gain a 9-6 lead and ultimately claimed the frame with a score of 25-13.
With a 2-0 advantage in the match, Princeton took a 5-0 lead, but Rutgers remained relentless. The Scarlet Knights pulled within two points, as the scoreboard read 9-7. However, Princeton responded by extending their lead to 12-7. In the end, the Tigers pulled away with a 25-14 set three victory and the match win.
KNIGHT NOTES
- Rutgers concluded day one of the Rutgers Invitational with a record of 1-1.
- Sudbury registered her third double-double of the season with 42 assists and 19 digs in the win over Howard.
- Sophomore transfer Aspen Luedtke (Oceanside, Calif.) made her second start as a Scarlet Knight against the Bison.
- As a team, the Scarlet Knights nearly eclipsed their season-highs in kills (63) and digs (78) with 60 kills and 76 digs in the victory versus Howard.
RUTGERS INVITATIONAL NOTES
- Concluding the first day of matches, Rutgers sits at 1-1, Princeton at 2-0, Howard at 1-1 and Duquesne at 0-2.
- The Rutgers Invitational concludes tomorrow, as Princeton and Howard kick off the day with a matchup at 10:30 a.m.
- Rutgers and Duquesne close out the invitational with a match at 1:00 p.m.
- Parking for tomorrow's contests will be located in the College Avenue Deck. Fans can access the lot from its entrance off of George Street.
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.
