DENTON, Texas – It was a Scarlet Knight sweep in Rutgers volleyball's first win of the 2024 campaign.
RU downed UNT Invitational host North Texas 25-23, 30-28, 25-18 to move to 1-1 on the year.
The Mean Green, who appeared in the postseason last year in the 2023 National Invitational Volleyball Championship, fell to 0-2.
- Rutgers had two Scarlet Knights in double figures led by Anna Hartman's 12 kills, including set point in the first frame and match point. Avery Jesewitz, meanwhile, hit .500 with 10 kills to go along with five blocks.
- Junior Lexi Visintine served up a career-high three aces while adding seven kills and eight digs.
- Classmate Aly Borellis notched 23 assists with freshman Lily Bolen contributing 17 helpers and a pair of aces.
- Freshman Natalie Robinson collected a match-high seven blocks while sophomore Kenzie Dyrstad led RU with nine digs.
- SET 1 (25-23) | Rutgers came back from a 15-10 deficit to outscore North Texas 12-5 to pull in front. After a Lexi Visintine kill tied the set up for the ninth and final time at 20-20, RU took command on a Zora Hardison swing and Mean Green error. Anna Hartman gave the Scarlet Knights set point on one of her four kills. Avery Jesewitz also contributed four kills in the opener and hit .571.
- SET 2 (30-28) | The second set did not want to end. Rutgers led nearly the entire way. The Scarlet Knights powered to a 23-16 edge when the hosts made a comeback. With RU two points away from taking the set, the Mean Green went on a 9-1 run taking a 25-24 lead with a chance to tie the match. Visintine came up with two big points with a swing and an ace. From there, UNT would thwart set point for Scarlet Knights twice while setting themselves up for another chance at taking the frame. A Hartman kill tied the stanza up for a fifth and final time at 28-28. Jesewitz and Natalie Robinson teamed up at the net to return the lead to RU, marking the fourth lead change of the set, and Jesewitz sealed the victory. Hartman logged seven kills on 12 swings to hit .583 in set two. Defensively, Jesewitz and Robinson came away with a trio of blocks. RU's 30 points marked the most in a set by the Scarlet Knights since a 32-30 first-set win over Howard back on September 7, 2018, in a sweep of the Bison.
- SET 3 (25-18) | RU hit a match-best .450 making only two errors on the attack while Visintine served up two of her aces. An early 6-1 burst put RU up 9-6 and in front for good. The Scarlet Knights closed out the evening by outscoring North Texas 7-3.
- The Rutgers volleyball team closes out the weekend with Colorado on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET) on ESPN +.
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