Volleyball Heads To UConn Challenge

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The Rutgers volleyball team is back in action this weekend at the UConn Challenge taking on Central Connecticut State on Friday and Lafayette and the host Huskies on Saturday.

GAME DAY INFO

Venue:	Gampel Pavilion \| Storrs, Conn.
Game Notes:	Rutgers \| CCSU \| Lafayette \| U Conn
Statistics:	Rutgers \| CCSU \| Lafayette \| U Conn \| Big Ten
Video:	vs. CCSU \| vs. Lafayette \| vs. U Conn
Live Stats:	vs. CCSU \| vs. Lafayette \| vs. U Conn
Social Media:	Facebook \| Twitter \| Instagram

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, September 3

Rutgers vs. CCSU – 2 pm.
UConn vs. Lafayette – 7 p.m.

Saturday, September 4

Rutgers vs. Lafayette – 10 a.m.
UConn vs. CCSU – 12:30 p.m.
CCSU vs. Lafayette – 4:30 p.m.
Rutgers at UConn – 7 p.m.

ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

The Scarlet Knights enter the second tournament of the 2021 fall season at 2-1 overall. RU earned its first season-opening victory since 2013 sweeping USF and came from behind to pick up a 3-2 victory against UMBC. The five-set win over the Retrievers, a spring NCAA Tournament team, was the first victory after being down two sets to none for the Scarlet Knights since 2012.
Fifth-year senior Beka Kojadinovic leads the offense with 3.10 k/s and 0.60 a/s and last weekend moved into a tie for third among the RU rally era career leaders in aces with 82. Kojadinovic is currently seventh in the Big Ten in aces per set.
Senior Inna Balyko, meanwhile, collected her 2,700th career assist and moved into sixth on the RU rally era career leaders in blocks with 219 career rejections. Last weekend, the setter logged two double-doubles and was just shy of a triple-double against UMBC with a career-high nine blocks.
Sophomore Madyson Chitty is coming off a weekend that saw her named to the Homewood Suites FGCU Invite All-Tournament Team averaging 4.91 d/s. She ranks fourth in the category entering this weekend's matchups.
Other notable career numbers by the Scarlet Knights include redshirt senior Shealyn McNamara tying her career-best in blocks with nine against UMBC along with sophomore Cansu Gunaydin's first career double-digit kill contest with 14 versus the Retrievers.

SCOUTING CCSU

Central Connecticut State enters this weekend's tournament looking for its first win of the 2021 fall season after dropping matches with Hofstra, Maryland and Virginia at the Maryland Invitational.
The Blue Devils finished the spring at 4-4 playing all eight matches against Northeast Conference opposition. CCSU was picked fourth in the league's preseason poll.
Nyjha Marcelin leads the Blue Devils at 2.92 kills per set and has collected a team-second best 11 blocks followed by Emma Henderson contributing 2.33 kills per set. Tori Boulay, meanwhile, has landed a team-leading five aces and is second on the stat sheet with 3.17 assists per set. Natalie Novak leads the Blue Devils in assists at 4.08 per set.
On defense, Isabelle Roufs has notched 13 blocks posting 1.08 per set while Ashlyn Eisenga is averaging 4.36 digs per set.

SCOUTING LAFAYETTE

The Leopards open the 2021 campaign this weekend after their season opener on Wednesday was postponed due to the effects of Hurricane Ida.
Lafayette went 2-5 overall playing a Patriot League-only schedule in the spring.
The Leopard roster features seven seniors, three juniors and four sophomores, returning all but two members of last year's squad, along with seven freshmen.
Among the returnees is Preseason All-Patriot League selection Leanna Deegan who led Lafayette in kills (121) and was a Patriot League Player of the Week last year behind 50 kills, 100 attacks and 31 digs in a sweep of rival Lehigh.
Also back on the court is Katie Weston, who led the defense with 100 digs, and Gracie Gibson, who led the team with 26.0 blocks.

SCOUTING UCONN

The host Huskies opened the 2021 season last weekend going 1-2 at the Syracuse Tournament. UConn picked up a 3-2 season-opening win over Albany but proceeded to drop matches with host Syracuse in straight sets and a five-set setback to Buffalo.
Last season, UConn finished 4-7 overall and 4-4 in the Big East. In this year's Big East Preseason Poll, the Huskies landed in a tie for sixth.
After week one, the Huskies are led offensively by All-Big East Preseason pick Caylee Parker at 2.85 kills per set and Allie Garland at 2.62 kills per set. Setting up the attack has been McKayla Wuensch at 7.38 assists per set.
At the service line, Jasmine Davis leads all Huskies with seven aces.
On defense, UConn 's Karly Berkland has been collecting 4.00 digs per set, while Kennadie Jack-Tuner at the net has collected 14.0 blocks in three games averaging 1.08 per set.

UP NEXT

The Scarlet Knights make their way back home for the Rutgers 9/11 Memorial Tournament Presented By The Bridgewater Marriott at the RAC with NJIT, NC State and Brown. Admission is free and face coverings are required as the University continues to uphold health and safety practices in accordance with campus, local and state guidelines for indoor venues.

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Schedule

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Players Mentioned

Inna Balyko

Madyson Chitty

Beka Kojadinovic

Shealyn McNamara

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