NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Oct. 27, 2018) – Rutgers volleyball claimed the opening set and rode three career-high marks to a fast start, but Indiana recovered for a four-set Big Ten victory on Saturday night at the College Ave. Gym.
THE LINE
Indiana (14-9, 5-7)
3, Rutgers (6-19, 0-12)
1 – 21-25, 25-17, 27-25, 25-12
KNIGHT NOTES
- A trio of Rutgers players recorded career-high numbers in the Big Ten match. Freshman Tali Marmen tallied 17 kills, freshman setter Inna Balyko scooped up 17 digs and freshman middle Merle Weidt put up eight blocks to match her rookie season best (eight against Ohio State).
- Balyko's 38 assists secured her seventh double-double of the season, and second in Big Ten play.
- Sophomore right side Kamila Cieslik produced a season-high nine kills.
STANDOUT STATS
- Marmen finished a dig shy of a double-double while hitting .244 for her match-high 17 kills.
- Balyko added two service aces and five blocks to a full stat line.
- Freshman outside hitter Anastasiya Kudryashova served up a team-high three aces.
- Junior libero Karysa Swackenberg got 16 digs, her 13th double-digit performance of the season.
THE MOMENTS
- Set 1 | Rutgers' late 6-0 run came at a perfect time. Balyko alternated assists to freshman middle Merle Weidt and Marmen, whose kills put the Scarlet Knights ahead 23-19. Balyko added a service ace out of an Indiana timeout before Marmen capped the rally with her seventh kill of the opening set.
- Set 1 | Indiana cut the deficit to two points at 23-21 before an IU service error set up set-point, which was capitalized on by senior outside hitter Sahbria McLetchie's lone kill of the set to clinch the win.
- Set 2 | Rutgers could not overcome Indiana's quick start at 5-0, which eventually spread to 12-3.
- Set 3 | A pair of Marmen kills tied the set late at 23-23. Cieslik came up clutch twice, saving two set points with a block assist and a kill for the 25-25 tie before the Hoosies put together two kills for the extra-points win and a 2-1 lead.
UP NEXT
Rutgers heads back out on the road at Iowa on Friday, Nov. 2 before a trip to No. 9 Nebraska on Saturday, Nov. 3. Both matches serve up an 8 p.m. ET start.
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