EVANSTON, Ill. – Rutgers concluded its opening weekend series at Northwestern with a 3-0 (14-25, 15-25, 21-25) setback to the Wildcats.
 

STANDOUT STATS

• Seniors Beka Kojadinovic and Kamila Cieslik teamed up to lead the offense with seven kills apiece while junior Inna Balyko compiled 19 assists.
• Kojadinovic also led RU on the defensive side with eight digs along with a trio of blocks from freshman Tina Grkovic.

KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 (14-25) | The Scarlet Knights were able to gain some momentum after the hosts opened game action with an 8-1 lead. After the Scarlet Knights won a challenge, RU rattled off six unanswered and outscored Northwestern 7-1 to trail 9-7. A Kojadinovic kill saw Rutgers down 12-10, however, the Wildcats produced a 7-0 run following another challenge en-route to taking the set.
• Set 2 (15-25) | The two squads traded points nine times when a kill from Cieslik started a 3-1 burst. A kill from redshirt junior Shealyn McNamara had RU trail, 9-8. Three-straight points, including a pair of kills from the Wildcats' Abryanna Cannon, cushioned an advantage Northwestern would not relinquish. Blocks from the hands of Kojadinovic and Grkovic brought Rutgers as close as 13-11.
• Set 3 (21-25) | The final set endured three ties and two lead changes in the closest frame of the night.  While a McNamara swing saw the Scarlet Knights down, 5-4, the Wildcats pushed back for a 15-10 edge. The Scarlet Knights, however, continued to chip away and a 5-0 run by RU saw the set tied at 18-18. An Anastasiia Maksimova kill gave the set its final tie at 20-20, but Northwestern pushed ahead with four unanswered points to stay ahead.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Balyko continues to move closer to the 2,000 career assist mark. With her 19 against the Wildcats she upped her career mark to 1,978. 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

UP NEXT

 
Rutgers volleyball hosts Indiana on Friday, Jan. 29 and Saturday Jan. 30 at 4 p.m. at the College Ave Gym.

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