Rutgers Topped By No. 25 Illinois

Saturday, November 16

Champaign, IL

8:00 PM ET

Rutgers University

8-19,2-14Big Ten

Illinois

13-12,8-8Big Ten

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Rutgers	11	15	20	0
Illinois	25	25	25	3

Nov 16 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Rutgers women's volleyball team battled its sixth top 25 opponent of the season and kept it close in the third set, but dropped a 25-11, 25-15, 25-20 decision to No. 25 Illinois on Saturday night at Huff Hall.

STANDOUT STATS

Sophomore outside hitter Anastasiia Maksimova lead with seven kills, while junior hitter Beka Kojadinovic added six kills along with a team-high 12 digs.
Second-year setter Inna Balyko directed the offense with 19 assists while defensively added In a pair of block assists.

KEY MOMENTS

Set 1 (11-25) | Four kills from Anastasiia Maksimovaand a pair of swings by Merle Weidt paced the Scarlet Knight offense early as RU trailed 9-7. The Illini captured a trio of consecutive points to follow with Beka Kojadinovic putting a stop to the run, however, Illinois responded with a 11-1 outpouring enroute to the set win.
Set 2 (15-25) | Kojadinovic opened the set with back-to-back points and later added in another kill along with one from Weidt for a 4-2 lead. Illinois used another big run to go out in front. The Illini outscored RU 9-1 before the attack from Maskimova put a halt to the Fighting Illini surge, but the home team had established a 11-6 advantage. The Scarlet Knights scored three of the next four as Tali Marnen pulled RU to 15-9, but another outburst from the Illini added cushion to the lead. Illinois outscored the Scarlet Knights, 6-1, to pull in front at 22-11.
Set 3 (20-25) | Illini opened with a 7-2 advantage, but Rutgers would climb back into the set. Down 11-5, Rutgers outscored Illinois, 5-1, capped by blocks from Weidt and Maksimova as RU trailed by two, 12-10. The Scarlet Knights closed the gap to within one twice as a swing from Stasa Miljevic saw RU behind 14-13. While the Illini went back up by as many as five, a trio of attack errors kept the Scarlet Knights in the set and a Tali Marmen kill saw Rutgers trailing 21-20. Illinois, however, close out the set and match with four-straight points.

UP NEXT

The Scarlet Knights wrap up the season series with Purdue taking on the No. 16 Boilermakers on Wednesday, November 20 at 7 p.m.

Follow Rutgers women's volleyball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

- RU -