SEATTLE, Wash. – Rutgers volleyball tied its season high in blocks with redshirt junior Alissa Kinkela and freshman Natalie Robinson tying their career marks as the Scarlet Knights dropped its first match of a West Coast swing in four sets at Washington on Friday Night at Alaska Airlines Arena.
The Huskies, receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 Poll, opened with a 25-16 win in the opening set before the Scarlet Knights came back for a 25-18 win in set two to tie the match. Washington took the victory behind a 25-17 set three win and 25-18 fourth set victory.
- Altogether Rutgers recorded 14.0 blocks led by 10 from Natalie Robinson and seven by Alissa Kinkela, each tying career numbers. Robinson reached double-figure blocks for the second time in her career also registering 10 blocks in the Big Ten opener versus Iowa back on Sept. 26. Kinkela also had seven blocks against then-No. 24 Ohio State back on October 6, 2023.
- Kinkela also led RU with 15 kills and added seven digs. She moved closed to the 900-career kill mark needing 13 more to reach the milestone.
- The Scarlet Knights totaled five aces from five different players – Kinklea, Lily Bolen, Natalie Robinson, Lexi Visintine and Kenzie Dyrstad.
- Junior Aly Borellis nearly missed a double-double with 19 helpers and nine digs.
- Dyrstad finished with double-figure digs logging 10.
- SET 1 (16-25) | RU outscored the Huskies 4-1 with an ace from Natalie Robinson and a pair of kills by Anna Hartman to tie the frame at 9-9. The set would be tied against at 11-11 on an errant serve by the Huskies and at 12-12 on a Washington attack error. The Huskies took the lead going on an 8-2 run to go out to a 20-14 edge. Avery Jesewitz led the attack with a trio of kills while Alissa Kinkela notched two blocks.
- SET 2 (25-18) | Washington got the first point, but it would be the only lead the Huskies would hold as Rutgers powered to a 10-6 lead. While a 4-1 run by the hosts narrowed its deficit to a point at 11-10, the Scarlet Knights responded with five unanswered including a solo block and attack from Zora Hardison. Robinson added a solo block to extend RU's edge to 22-16 and the Huskies were limited to only two more points the rest of the way. Kinkela swung .667 with kills on four of her six swings. Robinson tallied three blocks.
- SET 3 (17-25) | The Huskies came back opening the third set with a 12-5 lead. Rutgers saw some momentum midway as two kills from Hardison helped the Scarlet Knights outscore the Huskies 6-3 to trail 15-11. Lily Bolen served up her 26th ace of the season for RU to trail18-13 before Washington closed with seven of the next 11 points. Kinkela posted five kills on 10 swings to hit .500 for the frame.
- SET 4 (18-25) | The Scarlet Knights captured four-straight including blocks from Robinson and Jesewitz to give RU double-digit stops and pull within one at 8-7. The Huskies, however, stayed in front growing its advantage to seven behind an 8-3 run for a 17-10 lead. Rutgers outscored its West Coast opponent 7-4 to follow including Kinkela teaming up with Robinson for her career-high tying seventh block and RU's season-high tying 14 stops of the night. The run has RU down by four at 21-17 before Washington wrapped up the evening. Kinkela added four kills while Robinson came away with five blocks.
- Rutgers volleyball continues its West Coast trip meeting No. 11 Oregon on Sunday, October 27 at Matthew Knight Arena at 4 p.m. (ET)
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