Volleyball’s Defense Holds Strong Against One of Nation’s Top Attacking Teams
Nov 16 | Women's Volleyball
Scarlet Knights hold No. 15 Purdue to season-lows .207 attack clip and .570 sideout percentage
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Nov. 16, 2017) – Amid the statistically toughest schedule to close out the 2017 season, Rutgers volleyball is not backing down.
The Scarlet Knights posted a signature defensive effort against No. 15 Purdue on Wednesday evening in the College Ave. Gymnasium. Despite a straight-set loss, Rutgers held one of the top attacking teams in the nation to a .207 hitting clip and a .570 sideout percentage, both season-low marks for the Boilermakers, who ranked third in the country with a .319 attack percentage heading into Wednesday's Big Ten match.
"I? think with the season ending and having only four matches left, our mentality going into the third ranked offensive team was to be aggressive," said sophomore libero Karysa Swackenberg. "We wanted to make a statement that we can still compete and pick up their swings despite not being ranked or having a winning record."
Swackenberg and the Scarlet Knights are up against a gauntlet of nationally ranked opponents to end their campaign. Before the Purdue match, they had the No. 1 toughest schedule in the country to end the year, facing an average opponent's winning percentage of .814 with all four foes ranked in the AVCA Top 15. RU was up for the challenge to begin that stretch, and it was evident from the first serve on Wednesday.
Swackenberg had recorded five digs already in the first set with the score only getting to 8-8, frustrating the powerful and nationally recognized swinging arms of the Boilermakers. The College Ave. Gym crowd was treated to a distinct sound that can only be heard in Big Ten volleyball: the crack of a big hit, immediately followed by the echo of the ensuing dig, and ultimately capped by the cheers of an appreciative team, staff and fan base.
"I'm really excited and proud of the defensive effort we gave last night against the No. 15 team in the country," said head coach CJ Werneke. "Our players showed a lot of fight and heart against a great opponent. That kind of effort is something we can build on."
The .207 hitting mark produced by Purdue was also Rutgers' best defensive performance of the 2017 Big Ten season through 17 matches. In fact, it was their best defensive match since a Big Ten win over Maryland on Oct. 21, 2015, when the Terrapins hit .112. Swackenbergr recorded a match-high 13 digs, followed by seven from senior setter Talia Holze and four off the hands of freshman opposite hitter Kamila Cieslik.
For Swackenberg and her Rutgers teammates, they put on the B1G patch on their jerseys just like 13 other teams. That patch represents the best volleyball conference in the country, which features six current teams in the AVCA Top 25 and four in the Top 10.
"There is definitely pride in playing well against a great team like that," Swackenberg said. "Any time we can get a team to get out of their comfort zone, score good rallies and cause them to panic is a great accomplishment for us."
A sophomore whom was voted team captain this season, Swackenberg leads the Scarlet Knights in the dig category this season with 2.89 digs per set, while leading her team in digs in 18 of 29 matches. The defense will need to roll that momentum into Saturday, when they take on the AVCA's unanimous No. 1 team in the nation, the Penn State Nittany Lions, on 7 p.m. in the College Ave. Gym.
Follow Rutgers Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram (@RUvball) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersVolleyball). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter(@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), Snapchat (@RUAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics).
The Scarlet Knights posted a signature defensive effort against No. 15 Purdue on Wednesday evening in the College Ave. Gymnasium. Despite a straight-set loss, Rutgers held one of the top attacking teams in the nation to a .207 hitting clip and a .570 sideout percentage, both season-low marks for the Boilermakers, who ranked third in the country with a .319 attack percentage heading into Wednesday's Big Ten match.
"I? think with the season ending and having only four matches left, our mentality going into the third ranked offensive team was to be aggressive," said sophomore libero Karysa Swackenberg. "We wanted to make a statement that we can still compete and pick up their swings despite not being ranked or having a winning record."
Swackenberg and the Scarlet Knights are up against a gauntlet of nationally ranked opponents to end their campaign. Before the Purdue match, they had the No. 1 toughest schedule in the country to end the year, facing an average opponent's winning percentage of .814 with all four foes ranked in the AVCA Top 15. RU was up for the challenge to begin that stretch, and it was evident from the first serve on Wednesday.
Swackenberg had recorded five digs already in the first set with the score only getting to 8-8, frustrating the powerful and nationally recognized swinging arms of the Boilermakers. The College Ave. Gym crowd was treated to a distinct sound that can only be heard in Big Ten volleyball: the crack of a big hit, immediately followed by the echo of the ensuing dig, and ultimately capped by the cheers of an appreciative team, staff and fan base.
"I'm really excited and proud of the defensive effort we gave last night against the No. 15 team in the country," said head coach CJ Werneke. "Our players showed a lot of fight and heart against a great opponent. That kind of effort is something we can build on."
The .207 hitting mark produced by Purdue was also Rutgers' best defensive performance of the 2017 Big Ten season through 17 matches. In fact, it was their best defensive match since a Big Ten win over Maryland on Oct. 21, 2015, when the Terrapins hit .112. Swackenbergr recorded a match-high 13 digs, followed by seven from senior setter Talia Holze and four off the hands of freshman opposite hitter Kamila Cieslik.
For Swackenberg and her Rutgers teammates, they put on the B1G patch on their jerseys just like 13 other teams. That patch represents the best volleyball conference in the country, which features six current teams in the AVCA Top 25 and four in the Top 10.
"There is definitely pride in playing well against a great team like that," Swackenberg said. "Any time we can get a team to get out of their comfort zone, score good rallies and cause them to panic is a great accomplishment for us."
A sophomore whom was voted team captain this season, Swackenberg leads the Scarlet Knights in the dig category this season with 2.89 digs per set, while leading her team in digs in 18 of 29 matches. The defense will need to roll that momentum into Saturday, when they take on the AVCA's unanimous No. 1 team in the nation, the Penn State Nittany Lions, on 7 p.m. in the College Ave. Gym.
Follow Rutgers Volleyball on Twitter and Instagram (@RUvball) for all of the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersVolleyball). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter(@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), Snapchat (@RUAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics).
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