MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – After Rutgers collected an upset win over Minnesota at home two weeks ago, it was the host Minnesota Golden Gophers taking the series finale in three sets.

Rutgers and Minnesota went toe to toe in the opening frame with the Golden Gophers emerging with a two-point 25-23 win and used large runs in the next two sets for 25-17 and 25-9 victories.

The Golden Gophers, who are receiving votes in this week's top 25 poll, improved to 9-8 overall and 5-4 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights fell to 9-10 overall and 1-8 in league action.

• Redshirt sophomore Alissa Kinkela led Rutgers with eight kills to go along with seven digs and five blocks.
• Senior Kristina Grkovic tied for a match-high seven blocks and moved into a tie for sixth on the rally-era season leaders list. Grkovic has 13 solo rejections in 2023 and needs one more to tie for fifth on the list with Mikaela Matthews (2013) and two more to equal her mark from last season and tie for fourth on the list.
• Fifth-year senior Alyssa Nayar posted 18 assists and eight digs.
• Senior Madyson Chitty logged 10 digs to lead the Scarlet Knights. She is currently five digs away from moving into third on the rally-era and seventh on the all-time career leaders list.

• Set 1 (23-25) | Minnesota opened with a 10-5 edge and kept the Scarlet Knights hitting in the negative early but Rutgers came back with an 8-3 run to tie the set up at 13-13.  There were two more ties before the freshmen tandem of Anna Hartman and Zora Hardison got a stop giving Rutgers its first lead at 16-15. The lead changed hands with the Gophers taking the next two points, but a swing by Alissa Kinkela, ace from Alyssa Nayar and a Zora Hardison tip over the Minnesota block put RU back in the lead at 19-17. The hosts, however, scored five unanswered for the fourth lead change of the opener to stay in front the rest of the way. Alissa Kinkela led RU with six kills while Kristina Grkovic collected four blocks.

• Set 2 (17-25) | Rutgers came out with a 5-1 advantage to open the second set, but Minnesota responded by outscoring the Scarlet Knights 10-2 to go in front 11-7 and stay ahead hitting a match-best .320 for the frame. Kristina Grkovic put away four kills and added a pair of blocks to her total.

• Set 3 (9-25) | Minnesota jumped out to a 14-4 lead while the Scarlet Knights were limited to four kills for the frame.
   

• Rutgers volleyball returns to Jersey Mike's Arena on Sunday, Oct. 22 to close out the season series with Illinois at 3 p.m.
• Pre-match all kids can enjoy an inflatable bounce house, caricature artist and face painter in the hospitality corner while Rutgers Kids Club members can pick up Sir Henry and Rutgers Volleyball pins at the marketing tables. Rutgers Kids Club members will also have the opportunity for a post-match autograph session. 
• Admission to all Rutgers home games is free.