MADISON, WISC. – It was a close third set for the Rutgers volleyball team against the top team in the nation, but the Badgers would take the 25-21 win in the final set for the 3-0 (13-25, 11-25, 21-25) victory over the Scarlet Knights.
 
No. 1 Wisconsin stays undefeated at 6-0, while Rutgers drops to 1-5 on the year.
 

STANDOUT STATS

• Junior Anastasiia Maksimova led Rutgers with seven kills and eight digs.
• Senior Beka Kojadinovic and freshman Madyson Chitty also had eight digs apiece.
• Redshirt freshman Lauren DeLo came off the bench for 11 assists.
• Redshirt junior Shea McNamara added a pair of block assists.

KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 (12-25) | The Badgers swung .545  to open the match, took a 7-2 lead to start and grew a nine-point advantage at 17-8. 
• Set 2 (11-25) | Wisconsin went out in front 5-1, but errors by the Badgers and one of Maksimova's kills tied the set up at 7-7. The junior Scarlet Knight joined McNamara at the net for a stop for a 9-9 tie, but a 10-1 burst by the Badgers gave the home team the lead for good.
• Set 3 (21-25) | The final set was tied five times and the Badgers led by no more than four points. Rutgers was ahead 9-6 before Wisconsin took its first lead off a 5-0 run. The Scarlet Knights battled back to knot the score three more times off swings from McNamara, Cieslik and Maksimova. Down the stretch, the Scarlet Knights were within two at 18-20.

KNIGHT NOTES

• DeLo led Rutgers in helpers and captured double figure assists for the first time in her career.

HIGHLIGHTS

 

UP NEXT

 

• Rutgers returns home for another top-five matchup welcoming the No. 4 Nebraska Cornhuskers to the College Ave Gym on Friday, Feb. 12 and Saturday, Feb. 13. Both games will serve up action at 4 p.m. Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, there will be no admission to home games.

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