PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball and Northwestern clawed and scratched to 24 ties across three sets, but it was ultimately the Wildcats getting by the Scarlet Knights 25-23, 25-18, 30-28 at Jersey Mike's Arena on Friday night.

The loss dropped RU to 10-7 overall and 1-4 in Big Ten play. The Scarlet Knights also moved to 1-1 in the Big Ten Discover Volleyball Challenge. Northwestern moved to 12-5 overall and 2-3 in league action.

• Both junior Aspen Maxwell and junior Zora Hardison attacked their way to 12 kills while sophomore Natalie Robinson was just shy of double-figure kills with nine on 18 attacks and only one error to hit .444 for the night.
• Hardison also led RU at the net with six block assists. She is now one block away from her 200^th career block and seven away from joining the rally-era career top 10 list.
• Sophomore Lily Bolen was one dig shy of a double-double in recording 31 assists and nine digs. She also tied her career high with three blocks, including the 5-7 setter's first solo block.
• Junior Jenna DeLaMater and sophomore Alleigh Dutton both served up a pair of aces. DeLaMater also added eight digs for the defense.

• SET 1 (23-25) | Rutgers and Northwestern were tied nine times to kick off action as the opener was even at 18-18 following stops from the hands of Zora Hardison and Tara Garvey. The Wildcats punched in a pair of points from Ayah Elnady to take the lead for good. The two squads traded the next 10 points. A kill from Lexi Visintine on a rocket from the left pin denied Northwestern set point, but Elnady finished out the frame for Northwestern with a swing of her own.

• SET 2 (18-25) | The Scarlet Knights poured on a 7-1 run to trail 20-18, but the Wildcats closed with five unanswered to take a 2-0 lead. Northwestern opened outscoring RU 8-2 and pushed out to a 16-8 advantage. From there, the two squads went back and forth with the Wildcats ahead 19-11 before the Scarlet Knights' burst. During the run, Alleigh Dutton added an ace and kills were collected by Natalie Robinson, Aspen Maxell and Lexi Visintine. A swing by Hardison had RU down 20-18, but Northwestern posted a trio of kills and a pair of block assists to finish.

• SET 3 (28-30) | Altogether, the frame endured 13 ties, four lead changes and seven set point opportunities for both sides. One of Hardison's five swings in the frame gave RU a 24-22 advantage, but the Wildcats came back with the next three points to serve for match point up 25-24. An errant serve for the Wildcats knotted the score at 25-25 and Northwestern had another chance for the match, but it was thwarted on a kill from Tara Garvey. The Wildcats denied Visitine's attempt serving for match point at 27-26, but setter Aly Borellis got in the sneaky attack to tie up the set once more. Hardison and Visintine teamed up for a stop, giving RU the chance at the frame up 28-27, but back-to-back kills from NU's Elnady put her team in position for the win. At first, it looked like Hardison's attack was blocked out of bounds to keep play going, but after Northwestern's challenge, the review gave the Wildcats the point and the win.

• Rutgers volleyball is back on the court on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. at Jersey Mike's Arena against Illinois, a squad receiving votes in this week's AVCA Top 25. Free Rutgers headbands at the door while supplies last and the team will be on the concourse for post-match autographs. Click here to purchase tickets.