Volleyball Edged By No. 4 Nebraska in Three Tight Sets

Friday, February 12

New Brunswick, N.J.

4:00 PM (ET)

Rutgers University

1-6,1-6Big Ten

Nebraska

5-0,5-0Big Ten

Nebraska

Rutgers

Photo by: (Ben Solomon/Rutgers Athletics)

Volleyball Edged By No. 4 Nebraska in Three Tight Sets

Feb 12 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – In the closest match since their first Big Ten battle back in October of 2014, the Rutgers volleyball team battled No. 4 Nebraska on Friday afternoon falling 25-18, 25-21, 25-19.

The Cornhuskers upped their mark to 5-0. The Scarlet Knights, coming off last weekend's road matchup at No. 1 Wisconsin and playing their second-straight ranked opponent, dropped to 1-6.

STANDOUT STATS

The contest totaled 14 tie scores and nine lead changes in the three sets.
Kamila Cieslik led the attack with 10 kills, while Beka Kojadinovic swung for nine kills and only made one attack error.
Inna Balyko registered 26 assists
Anastasiia Maksimova led the defense with 10 digs and three blocks (one solo, two assist) while also contributing seven kills.
Five different Scarlet Knights recorded two or more blocks in the contest led by Shealyn McNamara and Tina Grkovic with three each.

KEY MOMENTS

Set 1 (18-25) |The first set remained close early as a block from the hands of Maksimova and McNamara saw Rutgers trail, 9-7. Two kills from Grkovic saw Rutgers within two again at 12-10 before Nebraska widened its margin.
Set 2 (21-25) | Rutgers jumped in front and thanks to a 6-0 run led 11-4. Maksimova accounted for three kills and a block during the opening burst while it closed with an ace from Madyson Chitty. While the Cornhuskers followed by outscoring the Scarlet Knights 6-1 to close the gap, Rutgers responded with three unanswered. Capped by a block from Balyko and Grkovic, RU stayed in front at 15-10. Nebraska went on a 9-2 tear for the lead change, but a Kojadinovic swing knotted the set at 19-19. The second frame was tied again at 20-20 on another attack from the hands of Kojadinovic, but Nebraska prevailed with five of the next six points.
Set 3 (19-25) | The Cornhuskers had its largest lead of the final frame at 15-9 before the Scarlet Knights chipped away. Two 3-0 runs coming off kills from four different Scarlet Knights and two blocks reduced RU's deficit to one at 17-16. A kill from Maksimova saw Rutgers trail just 20-18, but Nebraska outscored the Scarlet Knights 5-1 for the game.

KNIGHT NOTES

It was the closest meeting between the Scarlet Knights and Cornhuskers since Oct. 31, 2014 when then-No. 14 Nebraska took a 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 win at the College Ave Gym.

HIGHLIGHTS

QUOTES

UP NEXT

Rutgers is back for another battle with No. 4 Nebraska on Saturday at 4 p.m. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, there will be no admission to home games.

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