PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball was back on track sweeping VCU in wrapping up their first week of appearances at Jersey Mike's Arena this season.
The Scarlet Knights controlled the first set 25-16, while thwarting three Ram set points in the second set to climb ahead with a 30-28 win and put away the match with their first lead of the third on the second-to-last point claiming a come-from-behind 26-24 win.
The sweep marked the fourth of the year and the second at Jersey Mike's Arena this season.
- Junior Lexi Visintine was nearly shy of a double-double leading RU with 11 kills while putting away nine digs. She also served up a pair of aces.
- Redshirt freshman Alissa Kinkela made no attack errors to hit at a .409 clip with nine kills on 22 swings. Kinkela also added seven digs and four blocks in the victory.
- The attack, meanwhile, was directed by 18 helpers from junior Aly Borellis and 12 assists by freshman Lily Bolen.
- Freshman Natalie Robinson led the defense with a game-high six blocks.
- SET 1 (25-16) | Rutgers opened Saturday hitting .500 while holding VCU to just .062. The Scarlet Knights committed just one error on its 22 swings with Avery Jesey and Anna Hartman combining for seven of RU's 12 kills in the frame. Rutgers jumped out to a 9-5 edge, but VCU came back to knot the score at 9-9 with four-straight kills including a trio from Julia Rienks. Momentum, however, quickly changed hands as the Scarlet Knights produced six unanswered capped by an ace by Lily Bolen. RU's six points was extended into a 9-1 run pushing the Scarlet Knights out to a 18-10 lead. The Rams cut their deficit down to four outscoring the Scarlet Knights 6-1, but down the stretch it was RU in control with the set's final five points.
SET 2 (30-28) | VCU went out to an 11-7 lead but Rutgers climbed back as a
Krista Dooley swing knotted the set up at 14-14. After an RU error at the line, the Rams collected three-straight aces from Lara Del Core helping to establish a 20-15 lead. Rutgers climbed back outscoring their counterparts, 9-3, to regain the lead at 24-22. Twelve more points would be played out as RU thwarted three VCU set points before Visintine served up an ace and Kinkela laid down the hammer for the 2-0 lead. Hartman and Visintine each contributed five kills in the win with the Scarlet Knights committing only three errors on 36 attacks. Altogether, the set saw 14 ties and 10 lead changes.
- SET 3 (26-24) | VCU never trailed until the final two points of the match. Block assists by Natalie Robinson and Kinkela put RU up 25-24 and a Ram attack error gave the Scarlet Knights the match. Rutgers was within a point on five occasions before VCU took a 23-19 lead. A Visintine kill and an ace along with a Dooley and Robinson combo block had Rutgers trail 23-22. A service error gave the Rams a chance to avoid the sweep, but the Scarlet Knights punched back with four-straight points including a pair of blocks from both Robinson and Kinkela, including the stop giving RU its first lead of the frame.
- The Rutgers volleyball team heads into its final nonconference weekend at the Old Dominion Invitational. The Scarlet Knights will meet up with host Old Dominion on Thursday, Sept. 19 and UMES on Friday, Sept. 20.
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