Friday, October 18
East Lansing, MI
7:00 PM
Rutgers University
at
Michigan State
Volleyball Visits Michigan State & Michigan
Oct 17 | Women's Volleyball
Scarlet Knights see Spartans for first time in 2019 before a rematch against the Wolverines
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Oct. 17, 2019) - Rutgers volleyball (6-11, 0-6) visits Michigan State (12-4, 3-3) and Michigan (12-4, 5-1) for a Big Ten weekend on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-19. Both games are slated to start at 7 p.m. ET on BTN+.
Michigan State (12-4, 3-3) recorded a third straight split in Big Ten play last week, falling 3-1 in Lincoln to No. 5 Nebraska but rebounding to down Iowa, 3-2. MSU tied its season best with 16 blocks at Iowa, which it also accomplished in the season opener vs. Duke. The Spartans have had eight or more blocks in 13 of 15 matches this season and recorded it ninth double-digit blocking effort in 2019.
Michigan (12-4, 5-1) is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll. The Wolverines are off to their best Big Ten start since 2010, when they went 7-1 to begin conference play. Michigan's five-match win streak to begin Big Ten play was snapped by No. 5 Nebraska on Sunday (Oct. 13). It was the best start to conference play in program history, topping its 4-0 league start in 1997.
• The Scarlet Knights are once again nationally ranked in blocking - coming in at 21st place this week with 2.65 per set, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. RU set a program record for blocks in a season in 2018 with 300 total and 2.63 per set. Rutgers ended the season ranked 27th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten in blocking last fall.
• Rutgers has broken out for high hitting percentages in Big Ten play this season. The Scarlet Knights combined on a .353 hitting percentage in the third set victory at No. 7
Minnesota on Oct. 5. RU also hit .308 in a set against No. 2 Nebraska on Oct. 2 and .353 in a set against Michigan, who was receiving national poll votes, on Sept. 25.
• Between Sept. 6 and Sept. 14, Rutgers volleyball won two tournaments in a row, six straight matches and 12 consecutive sets for its longest winning streak since 2012, when the program won 12 straight matches for a 14-1 start to the season.
• Senior libero Karysa Swackenberg was named the Big Ten Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week for her performance during the period ending Sept. 8. The honor is the first of its kind for Rutgers since joining the conference in 2014.
• After setting eight school records in 2018, the Scarlet Knights already have two new program marks in the books for 2019. The team set a record for blocks in a four-set match with 18 against Towson on Sept. 6, while sophomore middle Merle Weidt totaled 12 blocks - an individual record for blocks in a four-setter.
• Swackenberg scooped a career-high 27 digs in the five-set match against Grand Canyon on Aug. 31 as she surpassed 1,000 career digs as a Scarlet Knight. She becomes just the eighth player in program history to reach 1,000 digs, and now ranks seventh all-time with 1,161 digs.
• Senior middle Jasmine Stackhouse is five blocking assists away from setting a new Rutgers career record. She raised her career total to 353 blocks, which is tied for sixth in the all-time record book at Rutgers. Stackhouse was named to the Ellis Rowland Memorial All-Tournament Team at Colgate with 16 blocks in nine sets to go with 21 kills.
• Sophomore setter Inna Balyko was also named to the All-Tournament Team at Colgate with 86 assists, 30 digs and eight kills in three sets, while directing an offense that hit .294 over the weekend without dropping a set. She already ranks ninth all-time in Rutgers history with 1,607 career assists.
• Rutgers has six or more service aces in nine of 17 matches this season.
• RU is 6-2 this season when winning the third set.
• Tali Marmen has led or tied for the team-lead in services aces eight times this season.
• Rutgers had led or tied for the lead in team blocks in 10 of its 17 matches, including the last three Big Ten matches.
• Rutgers had led or tied for the lead in team service aces in 10 of 17 matches.
• Seven Scarlet Knights have 1.5 or more kills per set, while six different RU players have led a match in kills this season.
• Rutgers is undefeated this season when winning the first set (4-0) and when leading in attack percentage (5-0).
• The Scarlet Knights are 5-0 when hitting over .250.
The Scarlet Knights play on national television on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at Ohio State for a 6 p.m. ET start on Big Ten Network.
| THE SCOUT |
Michigan (12-4, 5-1) is receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll. The Wolverines are off to their best Big Ten start since 2010, when they went 7-1 to begin conference play. Michigan's five-match win streak to begin Big Ten play was snapped by No. 5 Nebraska on Sunday (Oct. 13). It was the best start to conference play in program history, topping its 4-0 league start in 1997.
| HEAD-TO-HEAD |
| KNIGHT NOTES |
• Rutgers has broken out for high hitting percentages in Big Ten play this season. The Scarlet Knights combined on a .353 hitting percentage in the third set victory at No. 7
Minnesota on Oct. 5. RU also hit .308 in a set against No. 2 Nebraska on Oct. 2 and .353 in a set against Michigan, who was receiving national poll votes, on Sept. 25.
• Between Sept. 6 and Sept. 14, Rutgers volleyball won two tournaments in a row, six straight matches and 12 consecutive sets for its longest winning streak since 2012, when the program won 12 straight matches for a 14-1 start to the season.
• Senior libero Karysa Swackenberg was named the Big Ten Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week for her performance during the period ending Sept. 8. The honor is the first of its kind for Rutgers since joining the conference in 2014.
• After setting eight school records in 2018, the Scarlet Knights already have two new program marks in the books for 2019. The team set a record for blocks in a four-set match with 18 against Towson on Sept. 6, while sophomore middle Merle Weidt totaled 12 blocks - an individual record for blocks in a four-setter.
• Swackenberg scooped a career-high 27 digs in the five-set match against Grand Canyon on Aug. 31 as she surpassed 1,000 career digs as a Scarlet Knight. She becomes just the eighth player in program history to reach 1,000 digs, and now ranks seventh all-time with 1,161 digs.
• Senior middle Jasmine Stackhouse is five blocking assists away from setting a new Rutgers career record. She raised her career total to 353 blocks, which is tied for sixth in the all-time record book at Rutgers. Stackhouse was named to the Ellis Rowland Memorial All-Tournament Team at Colgate with 16 blocks in nine sets to go with 21 kills.
• Sophomore setter Inna Balyko was also named to the All-Tournament Team at Colgate with 86 assists, 30 digs and eight kills in three sets, while directing an offense that hit .294 over the weekend without dropping a set. She already ranks ninth all-time in Rutgers history with 1,607 career assists.
| TRENDING |
• RU is 6-2 this season when winning the third set.
• Tali Marmen has led or tied for the team-lead in services aces eight times this season.
• Rutgers had led or tied for the lead in team blocks in 10 of its 17 matches, including the last three Big Ten matches.
• Rutgers had led or tied for the lead in team service aces in 10 of 17 matches.
• Seven Scarlet Knights have 1.5 or more kills per set, while six different RU players have led a match in kills this season.
• Rutgers is undefeated this season when winning the first set (4-0) and when leading in attack percentage (5-0).
• The Scarlet Knights are 5-0 when hitting over .250.
| UP NEXT |
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballJersey Mic'd with Skylar George
Wednesday, March 25
Rutgers Volleyball Vs Washington Highlights
Friday, November 28
Rutgers Volleyball vs. Oregon Highlights
Thursday, November 27
Rutgers Volleyball vs. Ohio State Highlights
Monday, November 24
