Volleyball Splits the Day at Lehigh

Friday, August 31

Bethlehem, Pa.

1 PM

Rutgers University

1-3

Coppin State

1-4

Rutgers

Coppin State

Aug 31 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Coppin State Box Score (PDF)Lehigh Box Score (PDF)

Tops Coppin State for first win before dropping five-setter at Lehigh

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (Aug. 31, 2018) – Rutgers volleyball picked up its first win of the season – a straight set victory over Coppin State with a school-record 14 service aces – before falling to host Lehigh in five on the opening day of Lehigh and Lafayette's Crosstown Tournament.

ACE RECORD FALLS IN SWEEP OF COPPIN STATE
THE LINE
Rutgers (1-3) 3, Coppin State (1-4) 0 – 25-11, 25-11, 25-10

KNIGHT NOTES

With 14 aces, Rutgers establishes a new program record for a single match in the 25-point rally-scoring era (2008). It's the most aces in a match since 13 in a five-setter against Buffalo last season, and the most in a three-set match since 12 against Marist in 2007.
Rutgers did not commit a reception error or ball handling error in the victory.
RU's .377 hitting percentage was the team's highest in a match since swinging .436 against Hartford more than two years ago, Aug. 27, 2016.
Rutgers has out-blocked opponents in all four matches this season.
Rutgers improves to 3-0 against Coppin State all-time.

STANDOUT STATISTICS

Senior outside hitter Sahbria McLetchie recorded a season-high in kills for the Scarlet Knights with 18 on a career-best .593 attack percentage, adding four aces in Rutgers' record serving performance.
Freshman setter Inna Balyko passed out 31 assists, and recorded the second most aces in a single match in Rutgers rally-scoring history with five.
Freshman outside hitter Anastasiia Maksimova reached double-digits in kills for the first time, totaling 13 to lead all players in the match.
Junior middle Stasa Miljevic paced the Scarlet Knights' 10 team block effort with six assists and a solo.

THE MOMENTS

Set 1 | McLetchie started dealing the aces with four straight during a 5-0 run, leading to a 15-7 advantage. The stanza ended set on a 19-5 run for the Scarlet Knights with seven team aces and four kills from freshman middle Merle Weidt on an .800 swing percentage.
Set 2 | A 7-0 run sparked by two Balyko aces fed into a 10-1 spurt to take control 21-8.
Set 3 | Another dominant run of 7-1 aided a 9-2 lead behind another two aces, this time from junior libero Karysa Swackenberg.

LEHIGH OUTLASTS SCARLET KNIGHTS IN FIVE-SET CLASH
THE LINE
Lehigh (3-0) 3, Rutgers (1-4) 2 – 25-21, 25-15, 21-25, 17-25, 15-6

KNIGHT NOTES

Maksimova earned her first career double-double with a career-high marks of 11 kills and 13 digs.
Rutgers has out-blocked every opponent this season through five contests.
The Scarlet Knights' 14 total team blocks are a season-high, and the most in a match since a three-setter at Wisconsin on Oct. 30, 2016.
Lehigh cuts into Rutgers' all-time series lead, which now stands at 11-4. The Mountain Hawks ended Rutgers' four-match winning streak in the series.

STANDOUT STATISTICS

McLetchie again led in kills with 13, adding a career-high four solo blocks.
Sophomore right side Beka Kojadinovic added nine kills, while leading the squad in digs with 15 and totaling four blocks.
Junior libero Karysa Swackenberg served two aces along with her 11 digs and two assists.

THE MOMENTS

Set 1 | The Mountain Hawks built a 15-12 lead with a 6-1 run. Rutgers' Serbians – Miljevic and sophomore right side Beka Kojadinovic – combined on a block to disrupt the streak. Later, McLetchie kept RU in the set with three kills down the stretch, including a saved set-point at 24-20 with her sixth kill of the period before Lehigh closed it out.
Set 2 | An early 5-0 Lehigh run gave the home team a 9-3 advantage, which they would not relinquish.
Set 3 | McLetchie's 10^th kill of the match gave RU a 15-12 lead heading into the media timeout, shifting momentum as part of a 6-1 run. Kojadinovic had a key kill at 23-20 and McLetchie clinched the set with a strong kill off a block.
Set 4 | Three straight kills from junior middle Jasmine Stackhouse, Kojadinovic and Maksimova hand Rutgers an 11-7 lead. RU again received clutch offense down the stretch with kills from Stackhouse at 22-17 and Cieslik to set up set-point at 24-17.
Set 5 | The Mountain Hawks came out firing in the fateful fifth, jumping to a 7-3 lead and maintaining the edge through a 15-6 victory.

UP NEXT
The Scarlet Knights wrap up the Crosstown Tournament on Saturday, Sept. 1 with a short trip to Easton, Pa. for matches at Lafayette against the host Leopards (10 a.m.) and Rider (1 p.m.).

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