NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – It was another first for the Rutgers volleyball team as the Scarlet Knights captured their first-ever Big Ten series sweep with a 3-1 victory over the visiting Terps.
RU took the match 25-23, 22-25, 25-17 and 25-15 behind three Scarlet Knights in double figures, a rally-scoring era school-record seven aces from
Kamila Cieslik and junior
Inna Balyko surpassing the 2,500 career assist mark with a career-high 58 assists.
- Three Scarlet Knights finished with double-doubles for the second-straight contest led by a career-high 19 kills and 13 digs from senior Beka Kojadinovic. Junior Anastasiia Maksimova swung for 16 kills to go along with 13 digs and classmate Inna Balyko notched a career-high 58 assists and 13 digs.
- Rutgers served up 13 aces led by seven from senior Kamila Cieslik for a new rally-era record.
- Freshman Tina Grkovic rounded out the Knights with double-figure kills with 10.
- Freshman Madyson Chitty also contributed double-digit digs with 10.
- Set 1 (25-23) | It was neck-and-neck to open with the frame enduring nine ties and five lead changes. The final tie came at 23-23 when Rutgers took the set off a Terp service error and one of Kojadinovic's four kills.
- Set 2 (22-25) | It was another close set, however, this time in favor of the visitors. Maryland stayed in front after going ahead 13-12 and was not able to lead by more than two until late in the set. Grkovic brought RU as close as 23-21.
- Set 3 (25-17) | A 6-0 run with five points coming with Cieslik at the service line gave Rutgers a lead it would not relinquish and put the Scarlet Knights up 18-13. Maksimova added three-straight kills and pushed Rutgers ahead at 22-14.
- Set 4 (25-15) | The Scarlet Knight clinched the sweep hitting a game-best .368 with Kojadinovic notching six kills on nine attempts along with four RU aces. Opening with a 7-5 edge, Rutgers continued to expand its advantage by only allowing the Terps to score back-to-back points two more times. A 7-1 run had Rutgers up by double digits at 20-10.
- It was the first Big Ten series sweep and first time earning back-to-back Big Ten victories since joining the league in 2014.
- Cieslik set the rally scoring era record for aces with seven. The previous record of six was held by Sofi Cucuz vs. Louisiana Tech in 2011, Kelsey Ross against St. John's in 2011, Stephanie Zielinski vs. Howard in 2011 and Caitlin Saxton at NJIT in 2010. Cieslik resets her previous best of five against Penn in 2017.
- Rutgers' 13 aces were the second most of the rally scoring era and ties for the most in a four-set contest. RU also had 13 in a victory over the ACC's Virginia in 2019. The record for aces in a game is 14 against Coppin State in 2018.
- Kojadinovic reset her kills benchmark with 19 surpassing her previous high of 18 against No. 10 Purdue last week and Princeton in 2019. Only former Scarlet Knight Meme Fletcher has more kills in a Big Ten contest with 25 against Maryland in 2015.
- Balyko's 58 assists were the seventh most of the rally scoring era and most in a Big Ten contest. She currently holds eight of the top ten individual assist match records. Additionally, she set a new career mark besting the 56 set at Iowa earlier this year. Balyko also pushed past the 2,500 career assist mark and has 2,514 to date.
- Kojadinovic posted her fifth double-double of the season and 12th of her career. Maksimova notched career double-double number eight and third of the 2021 season. Balyko notched 24th career double-double and fifth of the year.
Gallery: (3-27-2021) Volleyball vs. Maryland
- Rutgers closes out the season with a road trip to Michigan State meeting the Spartans on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3.
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