RALEIGH, N.C. – Every set proved to be a thriller, but the host NC State Wolfpack was able to get past Rutgers volleyball in five sets on day two of the Summit Group Hospitality Open on Friday night. RU was topped 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 12-15.

The Scarlet Knights dropped their first match of the year as RU was trying to go 4-0 for the first time since 1996. The Wolfpack, meanwhile, improved to 4-1 overall.
   

STANDOUT STATS

• Rutgers had two Scarlet Knights with double-doubles. Sophomore Taylor Humphrey collected 10 kills and 10 digs while fifth-year senior Alyssa Nayar put up 36 helpers and 19 digs.
• Redshirt sophomore Alissa Kinkela led the attack with 12 kills while also racking up eight digs and a career-high tying six blocks.
• Altogether Rutgers amassed 12 aces and 22 total blocks as senior Kristina Grkovic served up a career-high tying five aces along with nine total blocks.
• Senior Madyson Chitty posted over 20 digs for the sixth time in her career with 22 to end the night. Sophomore Lexi Visintine also reset her career mark in the category with 13.
   

KEY MOMENTS

• Set 1 (25-23) | It was a battle of runs with the Scarlet Knights emerging with the victory. Altogether the set endured seven ties and four lead changes. The Wolfpack scored seven straight points to push out to an 8-3 lead and climbed out to a 10-4 advantage. RU clawed back including a 5-0 run that saw the Scarlet Knights go in front 16-15. NC State responded, however, with five points of their own for the lead change. The Wolfpack edge did not last long as Rutgers outscored NCSU 6-1 for a 22-20 lead. The frame got knotted up at 22-22 before the Scarlet Knights closed it out. Rutgers served up four of its 12 aces from four different Scarlet Knights in the frame.

 

• Set 2  (21-25) | The Wolfpack led early, but the Scarlet Knights came back with a 5-1 run to tie the set up at 18-18. NC State, however, never relinquished its advantage despite a kill from Alissa Kinkela bringing RU to within a point at 21-20.

 

• Set 3 (25-23) | Rutgers went ahead 10-5 thanks in part to scoring seven unanswered points. The Scarlet Knights never lost the lead fighting off NC State as they chipped away at their deficit to tie the stanza up at 17-17. RU responded with four consecutive points, including a pair of kills from Alyssa Nayar and closed out the frame with a swing from Kristina Grkovic along with back-to-back aces from the senior for the 2-1 lead. Grkovic would also add a trio of blocks in the set.

 

• Set 4 (23-25) | The set was tied up 13 times before host NC State forced a fifth and deciding frame. The Wolfpack led 17-11 when Rutgers made a run. RU outscored their opponent, 9-2, for a 20-19 edge. The set was tied up three more times as a swing from Lexi Visintine saw the score knotted at 23-23. The Wolfpack, however, took the next two points on kills from Amanda Rice for the win.

 

• Set 5 (12-15) | As in the previous sets, the fifth and deciding set proved to be another close one. Rutgers raced out to a 5-0 edge, but NC State came back with a 6-0 run to flip the lead. From there, the set was tied on five occasions with a Wolfpack miscue on the attack tying the frame at 10-10. NC State went ahead on a pair of errors by the Scarlet Knights and stayed in front to take the match. A Wolfpack error at the service line got RU down a point at 12-11, but NSCU's Amanda Rice closed with kills on her squad's final three points.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Rutgers and NC State have gone to five sets in their last two meetings.
• Alyssa Nayar registered her second double-double of the year and 23rd of her career. Taylor Humphrey collected her first of the 2023 season and third of her career.
• Madyson Chitty reached the 20 + digs for the sixth time in her career and was two digs shy of tying her career high. She last reached the 20+ dig mark with 20 in a five-set victory over Michigan State on Sept. 25, 2022.
• Kristina Grkovic tied her career high with five aces. She also had five against FDU in a 3-0 win on Sept. 17, 2022.
• Alissa Kinkela posted six blocks for the second-straight match also swatting away six Winthrop attacks in the Summit Hospitality Group Open opener on Thursday.
• Lexi Visintine also set a new career mark in digs for the second-straight match with her 13 against the Wolfpack. She opened tournament play with 12 in the straight-set victory over Winthrop on Thursday.

UP NEXT

• Rutgers volleyball returns to the court to close out the Summit Hospitality Open on Saturday against Howard at 1 p.m.

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