CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Rutgers volleyball claimed the Cavalier Classic title on Saturday afternoon in a five-set victory over host Virginia, 24-26, 25-22, 17-25, 25-20, 16-14.

The Scarlet Knights opened the tournament and the 2023 season on Friday with a 3-0 win over North Carolina A&T and improved to 2-0 with the victory over the host Cavaliers. 

Alyssa Nayar was named the Cavalier Classic MVP, while Alissa Kinkela and Bekah Williams each earned nods to the all-tournament team.





   

STANDOUT STATS

• Two Scarlet Knights landed in double-figure kills with redshirt sophomore Alissa Kinkela leading the way with 14 and sophomore Bekah Williams adding a career-high 12.
• Fifth-year senior Alyssa Nayar notched her first double-double of the season putting up 25 assists along with 14 digs. She also added two aces.
• Senior Kristina Grkovic set a new career mark with 11 total blocks and also tied her career-high with three solo blocks. Grkovic also added eight kills and two aces in the victory.
• Senior Madyson Chitty led RU with 16 digs surpassing the 900-career dig mark.

KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 (26-24) | Rutgers overcame a six-point deficit for four ties down the stretch before the hosts took the opening frame. RU led early at 5-3, but Virginia took a 7-1 run to go out to a 10-6 edge. While a swing by Kristina Grkovic followed by a block by the senior and Alyssa Nayar pulled RU back within a pair of points, UVA responded with another run outscoring the Scarlet Knights 6-1 for a 16-9 lead. Momentum, however, shifted as the Scarlet Knights went on a run of their own. An 8-1 scoring barrage by the Scarlet Knights knotted the score at 17-17. Three more ties ensued at 20-20, 23-23 and 24-24 before UVA notched the final two points.

 

• Set 2  (25-22) | Rutgers used a 5-0 run to take a 10-7 edge and a lead they would never relinquish. While the Cavaliers did tie the set up at 13-13, the Scarlet Knights remained in control. The hosts would pull within a point three times, but RU took its biggest lead on a block by Rikki Williams and Bekah Williams at 24-20 before taking the frame. Rikki Williams led RU with five kills on seven swings.

 

• Set 3 (17-25) | The Cavaliers went out to an early 8-3 lead and maintained the advantage. RU had a 5-1 run that saw the Scarlet Knights pull within a point at 9-8, but UVA never let up. The Cavaliers closed out the set by outscoring RU 8-2.

 

• Set 4 (25-20) | It was another early UVA lead, but this time Rutgers battled back to claim the lead. RU rebounded from set three's negative hitting percentage to throw down a match-best .367. The Scarlet Knights used an 8-2 run, including a pair of Alissa Kinkela kills and a Madyson Chitty ace, to go ahead 16-13. The closest the Cavaliers would come would be at 19-17 but the frame ended with RU outscoring UVA 6-3.

 

• Set 5 (16-14) | Rutgers won the match after another close back-and-forth battle with nine ties and five lead changes. UVA was at match point after a kill from the Cavalier's Lauryn Bowie put her squad up 14-13, but three-straight errors by the hosts got the Scarlet Knights the win. RU had nine total blocks in the deciding set led by four assisted rejections from Kristina Grkovic.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Kristina Grkovic's 11 total blocks set a new career mark besting her previous high of 10 at Indiana on Oct. 28, 2022. She also tied her career mark of three solo rejections having also tallied three solo blocks against the Hoosiers in the same game.
• Grkovic also moved into a tie for fourth on the rally-era career solo blocks list alongside former teammate Inna Balyko with 26. She needs five more to move into third past Alex Jones (2009-12).
• Grkovic cracked the top 10 of the rally-era career blocks assists leaders list. With eight against the Cavaliers, she has brought her career total to 175 to enter the list at number ten. She needs two more block assists to move into ninth past Stephanie Zielinski (2009-12) and 16 more to move into eighth past Stasa Miljevic (2017-19).
• Madyson Chitty became the 12th Scarlet Knight in history to post 900 or more career digs.
• Alyssa Nayar also moved into the top 10 in career rally-era assists. She is now ninth overall with 342.
• Bekah Williams' 12 kills bested her previous high of 11 against Fresno State in the 2022 season opener.

UP NEXT

• The Rutgers volleyball team returns to action next weekend at the Summit Hospitality Group Open hosted by NC State. The Scarlet Knights open play against Winthrop on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 2 p.m., take on host NC State on Friday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. and close out the tournament with Howard on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 1 p.m.

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