COLLEGE PARK, Md. – It was a B1G night for the Rutgers volleyball team as a 3-1 victory over Maryland gave the Scarlet Knights their most Big Ten wins in a season since joining the league in 2014.
 
The 25-16, 16-25, 25-17, 25-22 win was the first for the Scarlet Knights over the Terrapins since 2015 and the first victory by RU in College Park since 1980.
 

STANDOUT STATS

• Three Scarlet Knights finished with double-doubles. Senior Beka Kojadinovic had a team-leading 13 kills to go along with 13 digs. Junior Anastasiia Makismova swung for 11 points and collected a career-high 14 digs. Junior Inna Balyko registered 40 assists and 13 digs.
• Maksimova also served up a career-high four aces.
• Defensively, freshman Madyson Chitty led with 17 digs, while redshirt junior Shealyn McNamara posted six blocks along with five from the hands of freshman Tina Grkovic.

KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 (25-16) | A Maksimova kill tied the opening set up at 6-6 and began a 5-0 run for the Scarlet Knights to take control. The Terps committed 11 attack errors, but defensively made 10 blocks. Down the stretch, Rutgers outscored Maryland, 9-4, for its largest lead at set point.
• Set 2 (16-25) | The Terps tied the game up with the same score Rutgers had to take set 1. Just as Rutgers went ahead in the opening frame at 6-6, it was the same story for Maryland. The Terps outscored the Scarlet Knights 6-1 to take a 7-11 edge and the lead for good. A Kamila Cieslik attack saw RU trail 19-16, but Maryland closed with six unanswered.
• Set 3 (25-17) | The Scarlet Knights led from start to finish opening on a 4-0 run. Rutgers hit a match-best .314, with five kills coming from Kojadinovic, while the Terps swung just .061. Maryland pulled within two with Rutgers leading 15-3, but the Scarlet Knights surged ahead to take a 2-1 edge with a 10-4 run.
• Set 4 (25-23) | The final set of the evening was the closest with six ties and three lead changes. While it was a 4-0 run for RU to open the third set, it was a 4-0 run for the Terps to open set 4.  Maryland led 16-11 when a 6-1 Scarlet Knight run, including a pair of blocks from Balyko and Grkovic, knotted the score at 17-17. Kojadinovic and McNamara teamed up at the net for the set's final tie at 21-21 as Rutgers ended outscoring the home team 5-1 to take the match.

 

KNIGHT NOTES

 

• The victory marked the third win in Big Ten play in the 2021 spring season, the most by the Scarlet Knights since joining the league in 2014.
• The win was also the first over Maryland since 2015 and first in College Park since 1980.
• It was the second time this season three Scarlet Knights collected a double-double in a contest. Kojadinovic, Maksimova and Balyko also had double-doubles in the five-set setback against current No. 9 Ohio State. Balyko and Kojadinovic each had their fourth double-double of the 2021 campaign while Maskimova posted her second. Balyko leads all current Scarlet Knights with 23 career double-doubles, while Kojadinovic has 10 and Maksimova has seven.
• Maksimova served up a career-high four aces surpassing her previous best of three against Michigan State last season. She has at least one service ace in the last three contests.
• Maksimova also collected a career-high 13 digs usurping her previous best of 13, which she had done on five prior occasions, the most recent against then No. 19 Ohio State this season.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

QUOTES

 
"This game was circled on the calendar as a must win and our approach on the court was to play with the same mental focus, same focus, same effort and determination as any other match we have played. One of our goals for this year has been to bring consistent energy and intensity into every single set we play. I am really proud of the progress that this team has made this year. Although we have been battle tested throughout the season, we continue to raise the standard for Rutgers volleyball." - head coach Caitlin Schweihofer
 

UP NEXT

• Rutgers and Maryland will be trading courts. The Scarlet Knights host Maryland on Saturday, Mar. 27 at 4 p.m. at the College Ave Gym. Yana Kamshilina and Mary Kate Painter will be honored on "Senior Knight" prior to the start of the contest.
• Due to COVID-19 safety protocols as of March 1, fan attendance at the College Ave Gym is limited to four tickets allotted to each coach and student-athlete for family members only.

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