Volleyball Has Five In Double-Figure Kills In Loss To Michigan

Sunday, November 12

New Brunswick, N.J.

1:00 PM

Rutgers University

10-16,2-14Big Ten

Michigan

7-18,5-11Big Ten

Michigan

Rutgers

Zora Hardison at the net against No. 1 Nebraska at Jersey Mike's Arena

Photo by: Cos Lymperopoulos

Volleyball Has Five In Double-Figure Kills In Loss To Michigan

Nov 12 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball had five in double-figure kills with its best hitting percentage in a Big Ten match this season and led on the stat sheet in blocks, but it was Michigan coming away with the win in four sets.

The Wolverines played out to a 2-0 lead behind 15-19 and 25-20 set wins while the Scarlet Knights took set three 25-20. Michigan closed out the match with a 25-18 fourth-set victory.

Michigan upped its mark to 7-18 overall and 5-11 in the Big Ten. Rutgers, meanwhile, fell to 10-16 overall and 2-14 in league play.

STANDOUT STATS

Rutgers swung .333 in the match, its highest hitting percentage in Big Ten play this season and best hitting percentage since hitting .333 in the nonconference finale with Princeton back on Sept. 15.
The Scarlet Knights had five in double-figure kills led by redshirt sophomore Alissa Kinkela with 13 and sophomore Taylor Humphrey with 11.
Senior Kristina Grkovic and freshmen Anna Hartman and Zora Hardison all had 10 kills each. Hardison collected a career and match-best .833 with a career-high 10 kills on 12 attempts.
Rutgers out-blocked Michigan 18-11 led my a match-high six stops from Grkovic. .
Fifth-year senior Alyssa Nayar posted her 11^th double-double of the year and 32^nd of her career with 44 assists and match-high 15 digs. She moved into a tie for third in rally-era season double-doubles.
Senior Madyson Chitty also logged double-figure digs with 13 and added seven helpers.

KEY MOMENTS

Set 1 (19-25) | One of Zora Hardison's four kills in the opening frame pushed Rutgers out to a 15-7 lead. However, Michigan rattled off 11 unanswered points to take the lead ultimately closing the set on the 18-4 run.

Set 2 (20-25) | The squads were tied at 6-6 when Michigan's Valentia Vaulet was responsible for three points of Michigan's 4-0 run giving the Wolverines an advantage they would not relinquish. Rutgers pulled with a pair of points twice, including an Anna Hartman swing that had RU trail 14-12. Michigan, however, grew its lead with a 6-1 run to push out to a 20-13 edge. RU narrowed the gap late with a 6-2 burst that included service aces from Kristina Grkovic and Bekah Williams and pair of kills from Zora Haridson. The run had the Scarlet Knights down 24-20 but UM's Vaulet collected set point.

Set 3 (20-25) | Michigan played out to its largest lead of the set at 17-13 when the Scarlet Knights scored seven unanswered points and closed the frame on a 12-3 run for the win. RU hit a match-best .417 led by five kills from Kristina Grkovic. The senior Scarlet Knight also added three blocks.

Set 4 (18-25) | The Wolverines opened with a 7-3 edge and led by as many as eight. Alissa Kinkela hit .429 committing only one error with four kills on seven swings to lead the Scarlet Knights in the final frame.

UP NEXT

Rutgers volleyball plays in its final two home games of the 2023 season welcoming Northwestern on Friday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. and Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. at the College Ave Gym. Admission is free.
The Scarlet Knight seniors will be honored prior to playing in their final home game on Saturday, Nov. 18 before first serve with the Spartans.

Follow Rutgers women's volleyball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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