WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Oct. 21, 2017) – Rutgers volleyball dropped a Big Ten match on the road at No. 17 Purdue in straight sets Saturday evening.
 
An energetic second set saw the Scarlet Knights (5-17, 0-10 Big Ten) use an 8-1 run to lead 19-14 before ultimately dropping a tight set to the Boilermakers (16-5, 6-4), who hit .405 for the match compared to Rutgers' .134.
 
Junior outside hitter Sahbria McLetchie led all attackers with 14 kills on a .216 swing percentage, in front of freshman Kamila Cieslik's 10 kills, the second double-digit performance in as many nights for the rookie opposite hitter.
 
Set 1 | Purdue 25, Rutgers 11
Purdue got the offense and serving going early and often with five kills and two aces en route to a 10-2 lead and the first Rutgers timeout. Out of the break, the Boilermakers kept the pressure on with a 4-1 spurt before RU burned its final timeout down 14-3. Rutgers earned all of their 11 points, with nine kills, an ace and a block.
 
Set 2 | Purdue 25, Rutgers 21
Two separate 4-1 runs gave Rutgers a 10-8 lead, capped by a 3-0 spurt on sophomore setter Megan Sharkey's serve, including one ace. Purdue erased the slim deficit and retook the lead with a 4-0 stint midway through the set for the 13-11 advantage.
 
Out of a productive timeout called by RU head coach CJ Werneke, RU strung together seven straight points as part of an 8-1 run to give the Scarlet Knights a 19-14 lead. The energetic run was powered by two kills apiece from McLetchie and Miljevic, with each player also getting a block.
 
The Boilermakers immediately answered with a 5-0 run of their own to tie the set at 19-19. McLetchie gave Rutgers its final lead of the set with a kill before Purdue scored six of the final seven points to take the frame and go up 2-0.
 
Set 3 | Purdue 25, Rutgers 16
The Boilermakers took quick control of the final set with a 4-0 start, which built to a 12-4 advantage after Purdue answered a Rutgers 3-0 run with a 6-0 spurt of its own. Down 21-8, the Scarlet Knights were 8-4 down the stretch behind five kills from McLetchie.
 
Knight Notes

• McLetchie totaled 30 kills over the weekend against Indiana and No. 17 Purdue, and looking back at the last four matches against Big Ten opponents, is averaging 3.2 kills per set.
• Miljevic produced five kills and matched a career-high with five total blocks, including a solo job in the second set.
• Purdue remains undefeated against RU, improving to 8-0 overall since 1982 and 6-0 as Big Ten foes.
• Rutgers is now 0-3 against opponents ranked in the AVCA Top 25 Poll, facing Nos. 10, 14 and 17 so far.
• Cieslik served up another two aces, helping the Rutgers rookie cement her second place position in the Big Ten in service aces. She has at least one ace in six straight matches and in 18 of her last 19.

 
Up Next: Rutgers plays its first midweek match of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at Northwestern in the second meeting with the Wildcats at 8 p.m. ET.
 
 
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