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Kenzie Dyrstad on the serve during Rutgers volleyball's five-set Big Ten opener with Iowa at Jersey Mike's Arena
Ariel Fox
2
Rutgers RU 5-8,0-2 Big Ten
3
Winner Michigan Mich 12-1,2-0 Big Ten
Rutgers RU
5-8,0-2 Big Ten
2
Final
3
Michigan Mich
12-1,2-0 Big Ten
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Rutgers RU 25 25 22 17 15 (2)
Michigan Mich 22 22 25 25 17 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Volleyball Edged Out In Five At Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Rutgers volleyball took two sets from Michigan for the first time in program history, but the Wolverines came back to take the match in five sets at Cliff Keen Arena on Sunday evening.

The Scarlet Knights won both sets one and two 25-22, but Michigan avoided the sweep with their own 25-22 win in set three.  The Wolverines forced a deciding set after a 25-17 victory in set four. The fifth set saw 12 ties and four lead changes. RU had two opportunities at match point, but Michigan completed the comeback with a 17-15 victory in the final set.

STANDOUT STATS
  • Redshirt junior Alissa Kinkela became the seventh Scarlet Knights of the rally era to reach the 800 career kills mark. The Melbourne, Australia product did so behind 24 kills and a .432 hitting percentage. She also added 14  digs, one shy of her career mark, for her third double-double of the season and 10th of her career.
  • Sophomore Zora Hardison captured a career-high in kills with 15 besting her previous high of 10 set earlier this season against Little Rock.
  • Sophomore Kenzie Dyrstad set a new career mark in aces with four surpassing her previous best of of three against Illinois back on Oct. 22, 2023.
  • Junior Aly Borellis collected her first Scarlet Knight double-double logging a season-high 51 assists and 10 digs. It was her 19th career double-double.
  • Freshman Natalie Robinson was behind six of RU's 12 blocks, including a pair of solo stops.
Alissa Kinkela 800 career kills graphic


 
KEY MOMENTS
  • SET 1 (25-22) | Rutgers won a set in Ann Arbor for the first time since 2015. Alissa Kinkela hit .400 in the frame with four kills, including career kill No. 800, with Aly Borellis collecting assists on 11 of RU's 12 kills. Michigan called time following an Alleigh Dutton ace as Rutgers played out to a 10-6 lead to start the match. After trading points, RU poured on another four consecutive points, including a solo stop from Anna Hartman to extend its lead to a set-high seven points at 15-8. The Wolverines pushed back with a 5-1 run to close the gap to 16-13. The Scarlet Knights went back up by six, but Michigan kept the set close with another 5-1 outpouring as RU remained in front at 22-20. Back-to-back kills had the Wolverines within a point, but the Scarlet Knights got the win behind a Hartman swing and Lexi Visintine's second ace of the match.

 
  • SET 2 (25-22) | For the first time ever, Rutgers won two sets against Michigan. The Scarlet Knights claimed a 5-1 lead to start, but halfway through the frame, the Wolverines rattled off a 7-1 run with a trio of kills by Allison Jacobs for its first lead at 12-11. Out of a timeout, the RU quickly reclaimed the lead on kills by Zora Hardison and Avery Jesewitz. Michigan knotted the score one last time at 14-14. Another Jesewitz swing put Rutgers in front for good with a Kinkela kill pushing RU ahead 19-15. Kinkela's seventh kill of the set gave the Scarlet Knights set point and the 2-0 lead.  
  • SET 3  (22-25) | The Wolverines returned from the break to open the set 10-5. After breaking for a timeout, Rutgers responded with a 5-0 run, including a pair of aces served up by Kenzie Dyrstad to tie the set at 10 all. After Michigan called time looking to stop the run, Dyrstad served up her third ace to give Rutgers the lead. A Jesewitz attack put RU up 19-16, however, the hosts clawed back outscoring the Scarlet Knights 9-2 down the stretch to avoid the sweep.
  • SET 4 (17-25) | Hartman equaled the frame at 7-7, but Michigan proceeded to take an 8-2 run for a 15-9 edge. Kinkela made it back-to-back 20-kill matches as her swing saw RU trail 20-17, but the Wolverines tied up the match to close out the set with five unanswered.
  • SET 5 (15-17) | Altogether the final frame was tied 12, including six occasions between the start of the deciding set and switching sides. Three more ties ensued until a Wolverine service error Hartman's 10th kill of the evening and Dyrstad's fourth ace put RU up 12-10. The Scarlet Knights had two chances to take the match after a kill by Kinkela saw RU up 14-13 and a swing from Hardison had her team up 15-14. Michigan, however, fought back with the final three points.

 
UP NEXT
  • Rutgers volleyball is back home and back on BTN next week hosting No. 7 Wisconsin on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. with Jason Knapp and Emily Ehman on the call.
  • The Scarlet Knights will also travel to Maryland on Saturday, Oct. 5 meeting the Terps at 7 p.m. 
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