PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers freshman Natalie Robinson collected block number 100 of the season and cracked the rally-era season top 10 in stops at the net as the Scarlet Knight volleyball team dropped Thursday night's game to UCLA in straight sets.
In the first-ever meeting between UCLA and Rutgers, it was the visiting Bruins on top 25-19, 25-20, 25-18.
- Rutgers had a pair of notable block numbers coming out of Thursday's contest as freshman Natalie Robinson and sophomore Zora Hardison both had a trio of stops at the net. Robinson collected her 100th block of the season and moved into the top 10 in rally-era season blocks. She currently sits in a three-way tie for eighth on the list and needs two more to surpass Mikaela Matthews (2016) for seventh, four more to move past Kristina Grkovic (2022) for sixth and seven more to move into fifth past Megan Vernon (2022). Robinson is also one block away from joining the rally-era top 10 in block assists. Hardison, meanwhile, registered career block number 100.
- Redshirt junior Alissa Kinkela climbed the rally-era career leaders list after leading the attack with eight kills. She moved into second place on the list with 919 career kills and needs 61 more kills to become the Scarlet Knights rally-era career leader and 42 more to crack the all-time top 10.
- Sophomore Georgia Lee and freshman Lily Bolen both ended the night with 14 assists each.
- Sophomore Kenzie Dyrstad led RU for the 16th time this season in digs logging seven.
- SET 1 (19-25) | Rutgers was down by a pair as Avery Jesewitz joined Zora Hardison at the net for Hardison's 100th career block at 6-4. The visiting Bruins, however, extended their lead behind a 5-1 run, prompting a Scarlet Knights timeout. Hardison attacked right down the middle out of the huddle, but UCLA posted the next four points for an 11-5 advantage. Kills by Hardison and Lexi Visintine helped RU notch three of the next four, but the Bruins continued to lead behind a 5-2 burst to go up 17-10. An Alissa Kinkela swing and trio of UCLA errors helped the Scarlet Knights close the gap to 18-14, but the Bruins would go up by as many as six down the stretch. Kinkela captured four kills on five attempts for the Scarlet Knights.
- SET 2 (20-25) | It was a late 7-1 run for the Scarlet Knights in the second frame before UCLA took a 2-0 lead. UCLA claimed a 23-13 advantage when Rutgers made its move. The burst included six straight points. The Scarlet Knights got five in a row, including a pair of kills by Robinson, a swing from Visintine and Anna Hartman and a Bruin attack error before UCLA called time. Coming back to the court, Robinson and Hartman denied UCLA's Anna Dodson giving RU the opportunity to close the gap to a 23-19 deficit. Another Visintine kill saw RU down 24-20 before the Bruins, who hit a match-best .412, took the set. Kinkela added another four kills in the frame.
- SET 3 (18-25) | The Bruins played their way to a 15-7 edge at the break. Coming out of the timeout, Rutgers managed a 5-1 run, prompting the visitors to call time up 16-12. Hardison went up for back-to-back blocks during the run. After both squads traded points out of the huddle, a Hartman attack and Hardison ace had the Scarlet Knights down by three at 19-16. The Bruins, however, responded with four unanswered and the two teams traded points to close out the match. Robinson and Visintine both recorded three kills each.
- The Rutgers volleyball team heads back to Jersey Mike's Arena to close out its current homestand in a Heart Health Awareness Game with Michigan State on Friday, November 8 at 7 p.m. Admission is free.
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