NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball was hoping to make it another five-set Friday against Michigan State but fell short of pushing the visiting Spartans to a deciding set.

The Scarlet Knights fell 3-1 in their return to the College Ave Gym with a 25-22, 21-25, 25-10, 25-23 setback.
 

STANDOUT STATS

• Senior Inna Balyko recorded a double-double behind 39 assists and a team-leading 13 digs while also adding five aces. It was her team-leading eighth double-double of the year and 32nd of her career.
• Fifth-year senior Kamila Cieslik led the offense with 12 kills with classmate Beka Kojadinovic adding nine kills to go along with 12 digs.
• Redshirt senior Shealyn McNamara had three rejections, including a pair of solo blocks.

KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 (22-25) | The opening frame was close throughout enduring six ties. A Beka Kojadinovic swing knotted the score at 17-17 when Michigan State collected three straight points to stay in front the rest of the way. Kojadinovic, Rutgers' rally-era service ace leader who set the Scarlet Knights school record with 10 aces last season at Michigan State, came up with a service that saw Rutgers trails 23-22. The Spartans, however, closed with back-to-back kills for the win.
• Set 2 (25-21) | Rutgers overcame an eight-point deficit to tie the match up at 1-1. The Spartans led 13-5 when the Scarlet Knights had its first of three significant runs. RU rattled off four unanswered which went on to become a 9-1 run to tie the set up at 14-14. Michigan State, however, did not relinquish the lead punching back with three-straight points. Rutgers whittled the Spartan advantage away with one of five Kamila Cieslik kills giving the Scarlet Knights its first lead at 20-19. While a Sarah Franklin attack tied the set on the next rally, RU scored the next four points, including a pair of aces by Inna Balyko and closed out the frame on a 5-1 run.
• Set 3 (10-25) | The Spartans led throughout hitting a game-best .381. The Scarlet Knights were unable to get back-to-back points until late in the set.
• Set 4 (23-25) | Rutgers did not go down quietly falling just short of forcing a fifth and deciding set. It was the opposite of set two with the Scarlet Knights opening with the lead and the Spartans chipping away. Rutgers punched back from its sizeable setback in the previous frame to open with an 8-3 advantage, which included a 6-0 burst. The Spartans went on to produce their own run with five unanswered, but the Scarlet Knights remained ahead at 12-10.   Balyko's fifth ace of the night saw Rutgers up 15-10 but Michigan State mounted its comeback afterward. MSU produced seven of the next nine points tying the stanza up at 17-17. While a solo block by Shealyn McNamara and kill from Cansu Gunaydin, who got the start in the fourth set, put Rutgers up 20-19, the Spartans countered with three-straight points to go ahead. Kojadinovic pulled RU to within a point at 24-23, but the swing by Biamba Kabengele for the Spartans sealed the victory.

HIGHLIGHTS

 

UP NEXT

• The Scarlet Knights have another top ten battle on their hands as they close out the season series with No. 8 Purdue on Sunday at 1 p.m.
  Note: The Purdue contest was moved to Sunday from its original Saturday date due to the Rutgers-Wisconsin football game set for kickoff at 3:30 p.m. 
• Admission to all Rutgers volleyball games is free.
• All fans must register for parking - Click here to register your vehicle.
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