PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball returned home to the friendly confines of the RAC to take Illinois, the top team receiving votes in this week's AVCA Poll, to five sets.

The Scarlet Knights took the opening frame 27-25 for not only the first victory over the Fighting Illini in Big Ten play, but the first over Illinois since 1981.

The visitors pushed ahead with a 25-20 set two victory and dominate 25-11 third set, but Rutgers battled back 25-22 to force the fifth and deciding stanza where they were edged 15-12.
 

STANDOUT STATS

• Fifth-year seniors Beka Kojadinovic and Kamila Cieslik captured double-doubles for the second-straight contest. Cieslik led with a season-high 17 kills and 10 digs, while Kojadinovic collected 11 kills and a career-high 24 digs.
• Senior Inna Balyko also captured a double-double, her team-leading seventh of the year, directing the offense to 41 assists along with 14 digs and team-leading six blocks.
• Senior Anastasiia Maksimova added double-figure kills for the attack with 10.
• Sophomore Madyson Chitty helped the defense to 19 digs, while graduate student Megan Vernon added five rejections.

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KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 (27-25) | Fourteen ties and 11 lead changes later, the Scarlet Knights emerged with a set victory over Illinois. Kamila Cieslik powered Rutgers to victory behind seven kills, while Balyko assisted on 13 of RU's 17 successful swings along with eight digs. The score was knotted up at 23-23 when a Beka Kojadinovic attack put RU at match point. While Illinois fought back for their own set point capitalizing on a Scarlet Knight service error and defense at the net, Rutgers flipped the script taking the next three points. Kojadinovic started the comeback, followed by Balyko and McNamara teaming up for a rejection and Cieslik swinging away for her seventh kill of the frame for set point.
• Set 2 (20-25) | The second set proved to be a close battle as well as the Fighting Illini tied the match up at 1-1. The score was equal five times early when a kill from Illinois' Kennedy Collins put her squad up for good at 9-8. The Fighting Illini led by as many as four in the frame with Rutgers managing to close the gap to two late. A Kojadinovic swing saw the Scarlet Knights trail 21-19 with Illinois closing out the set outscoring RU, 4-1.
• Set 3 (11-25) | Illinois led from start to finish climbing out to a 16-2 lead. The Fighting Illini hit a game-best .379 while Rutgers was limited to hitting just .071.
• Set 4 (25-22) | The following set was a completely different showing by the Scarlet Knights who tied the match up at 2-2. Back-to-back points from Tina Grkovic found Rutgers and Illinois tied at 13-13 and starting an 8-1 Scarlet Knight run. RU never trailed after the burst.
• Set 5 (12-15) | The Scarlet Knights came up just short of picking up the B1G win as both sides fought to seven ties. Kojadinovic helped equalize the score at 8-8 when the Fighting Illini rattled off four consecutive points to stay in front for good.

 

QUOTES

"I felt like the team was very calm coming into this match. Some of the matches that we've prepared for in the past few weeks, we've been a little anxious and it was getting back at home after being on the road for four straight. I think there was a sense of relief and we came in prepared. It's not about the wins or the losses for me, it's about coming out and trying to play a style of volleyball that we're all proud and I think that's what we did tonight.
 
I actually compared it to a marathon runner. We're playing as hard as we possibly can, even though the last set didn't go perfectly for us. Illinois has a very good team and they're a very seasoned team. I know a marathon runner when they go into their last mile, they're probably exhausted, but that's when they find that little bit of extra adrenaline that gets them to the end. Do we have that within us? Can we find some adrenaline that can get
us to that fifth set since we already have one under our belt?
 
Obviously, there's a sense of disappointment from the loss. You never want to leave a gym with a loss but they accomplished something that they haven't accomplished in a very long time and something that this group of upperclassmen has never accomplished. I think that we feel like we're playing at a level that's higher than the last time we played and that we're very comfortable in our home gym. We have a whole day to prepare for Maryland, so it's not a back-to-back. We have a whole Saturday to take to look at the film and prepare adequately prepare." - head coach Caitlin Schweihofer
 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

PHOTO GALLERY

 

UP NEXT

• Rutgers' homestand continues with its final game at the RAC before closing out the rest of its home schedule back at the College Ave Gym in hosting Maryland on Sunday at 1 p.m.
• Fans can show their Halloween costume off at the marketing table to be entering to win a Rutgers swag bag including four (4) tickets to the Rutgers-Maryland football game.
• Admission to all Rutgers volleyball games is free.
• All fans must register for parking - Click here to register your vehicle.
• Fans can enter with bags that are clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and approximately 12″ x 6″ x 12″, or one-gallon clear plastic bags or similar, and small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand, can be taken into athletic venues. Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection.

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