Volleyball Begins Home Slate With Rutgers Invitational

Friday, September 7

New Brunswick, N.J.

10:30 AM

Rutgers University

Howard

Volleyball Begins Home Slate With Rutgers Invitational

Sep 06 | Women's Volleyball

Match Notes Tournament Central Flip Card

Plays host to Howard, Tulane & Navy during six-match tournament at College Ave. Gym

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Sept. 6, 2018) - Rutgers volleyball revives the Rutgers Invitational for its first action at home in 2018, welcoming Howard, Tulane and Navy for a six-match tournament on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 7-8, at the College Ave. Gym.

THE SLATE \| All Times Eastern
Fri. 9/7	Rutgers vs. Howard	10:30 a.m.
Fri. 9/7	Navy vs. Tulane	1 p.m.
Fri. 9/7	Rutgers vs. Tulane	4:30 p.m.
Fri. 9/7	Howard vs. Navy	7 p.m.
Sat. 9/8	Tulane vs. Howard	11 a.m.
Sat. 9/8	Rutgers vs. Navy	1:30 p.m.

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HEAD-TO-HEAD

KNIGHT NOTES
• Freshman setter Inna Balyko earned the program's first Big Ten weekly award with a Freshman of the Week honor for the period ending Sept. 2. At the Crosstown Tournament at Lehigh and Lafayette, the Russia native posted two double-doubles, averaging 10.21 assists and totaling 14 blocks while directing Rutgers' .271 attack percentage.

• Freshman outside hitter Tali Marmen joined the roster this week following a stint with the Israel National Team in the 2018 European Silver League. The 6-foot-2 hitter ranked ninth in the Euro League with 2.79 kills per set, and has also led her club team Maccabi XT Haifa to the 2018 Israeli National Championship.

• Rutgers' early strength has been in the battle at the net with 2.92 blocks per set, a mark that ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 16th in NCAA Division I Volleyball. The Scarlet Knights have outblocked opponents in all seven matches thus far, led by 1.35 blocks/set from junior middle Stasa Miljevic. She ranks ninth in the B1G with that early mark.

• Senior outside hitter Sahbria McLetchie posted Rutgers' second highest hitting percentage in a single match (.706 vs. Rider on 9/1) since 25-point rally-scoring began in
'08. She also had a career-high four solo blocks at Lehigh and accounted for 53 points on a .398 attack percentage, four aces and six total blocks at the Lehigh/Lafayette tourney.

• Sophomore right side Beka Kojadinovic enjoyed a breakout opening weekend at Cal, where she was named to the Molten Classic All-Tournament Team. The Serbia native bounced 3.20 kills/set with 12 blocks and 27 digs, while posting a career day with 17 kills and a .382 attack clip in the four-set setback to Colgate.

• Junior libero Karysa Swackenberg also reached a career high in California, scooping 24 against Colgate. Swackenberg has 2.88 digs/set and eight aces in the early going.

• Rutgers served up 14 aces against Coppin State, establishing 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.

• RU's .377 hitting percentage against Coppin State was the team's highest in a match since swinging .436 against Hartford more than two years ago, Aug. 27, 2016.

• Freshmen outside hitters Anastasiia Maksimova and Anastasiya Kudryashova each produced career-high marks of 13 and nine kills, respectively, over the past weekend. Junior middle Jasmine Stackhouse bounced a career-best tying 11 kills in the three-set victory over Rider.

FIRST CLASS FRESHMEN
Tali Marmen arrived "On the Banks" in September following a stint with the Israel National Team, on which she started at the outside hitter position. Standing at 6-foot-2, Marmen is known for explosive power on the attack and superb defensive abilities on the other side of the net. These traits have been documented playing for her country in the 2018 European Silver League and for her club, Maccabi XT Haifa, which won the 2017-18 Israeli National Championship.

Inna Balyko joined the starting lineup following an international career as one of Russia's top young setters. Balyko has been the primary setter for the Russian Junior National Team over the past three years. She has been at the core of multiple championship runs while wearing her country's colors, including two European championships. The Russian phenom was at the top of her game at the U19 European Championships, where she guided her team to a title while being named to the tournament's "Dream Team" as the championship's top setter.

Merle Weidt is a versatile talent from Germany, showcasing power and quickness from the middle, right side and outside while playing for the German Youth National Team and elite clubs from her homeland. Anastasiia Maksimova received nods for starting outside hitter with national accolades and a tryout invitation for the Russian Junior National Team. Anastasiya Kudryashova brings a 6-foot-4 frame and national regards as a middle from successful club teams in Russia, and has been working out as an opposite and outside hitter during training camp and preseason matches.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Scholastic accolades have poured in during the offseason for Rutgers volleyball. The Scarlet Knights were honored as an AVCA Team Academic Award for the first time since 2014-15.

Six Scarlet Knights were named to the Academic All-Big Ten list, led by junior Karysa Swackenberg, who also earned her first Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honor this summer for posting a GPA over 3.7 last year.

Rutgers also posted its fifth straight year with a 1000 Academic Progress Rate, and earned a third consecutive citation on the NCAA's public recognition for teams in the top 25 percent nationally in multi-year APR scores.