COLLEGE PARK, Md. –  It was a back-and-forth battle with the first three sets coming down to the wire between Rutgers and Maryland volleyball.

The Scarlet Knights won the clash in the opening frame, 26-24, but the Terps rallied for 25-23 and 27-25 wins in set two and set three before taking the match with a 25-14 victory in set four.

Altogether, the two squads were even on 27 occasions with 11 lead changes across the four sets.

The loss dropped Rutgers to 10-9 overall, 1-6 in the Big Ten and 1-2 in the Discover Volleyball Challenge. Maryland, meanwhile, improved to  8-9 overall and 1-6 in league play.
 

• Senior Tara Garvey and sophomore Aspen Maxwell led RU with double-digit kills. Garvey collected a season-high 12 kills while Maxwell posted 11 and was just shy of a double-double with nine digs to go along with a pair of aces.
• Sophomore Lily Bolen recorded 38 assists along with two aces and seven digs.
• Senior Lexi Visintine tied her season high with four aces and is now one ace shy of moving into the top four at Rutgers in rally-era career aces. Her four aces gave her 88 in her career and 33 on the year, moving her onto the rally-era season top 10 for the second-straight season and into a tie for sixth on the list. Tracy Wright holds the rally-era season record with 38 back in 2013.
• Sophomore Natalie Robinson led RU with four total blocks while classmate Alleigh Dutton registered a match-high 13 digs.

• SET 1 (26-24) | Sixteen ties, seven lead changes and it was Tara Garvey put it away. The Terps served for set point up 24-23, but Zora Hardison swung from the right pin to knot the score for a final time in the frame. A miscue from Terps opened the opportunity for the Scarlet Knights to capitalize as Lily Bolen directed the ball to Garvey at the left pin to hammer home the victory.

• SET 2 (20-25) | The Scarlet Knights held a 23-20 edge, but the Terps came out of their shell late for the frame's final five points to even the match at 1-1.  Rutgers trailed 17-14 when the Scarlet Knights flipped the lead with a 7-1 run. Natalie Robinson struck down the middle for a pair of kills and Jenna DeLaMater delivered the ace to give RU a 21-18 advantage. A Visintine swing and error from the Terps pushed Rutgers out to the 23-20 lead before the comeback from the hosts.

• SET 3 (25-27) | Maryland was only allowed back-to-back points once en route to Rutgers' 18-12 lead. After the Terps called timeout, the hosts rattled off five unanswered to pull within a point at 18-17. Rutgers would not relinquish the lead until the final moments. Down the stretch, the set was tied three times. A Maryland service error gave RU the chance to serve for set point at 24-23, but this time it was the Knights with the service error. Garvey swung for her 11^th kill of the night to give Rutgers another chance to put the set away up 25-24. Maryland, however, collected the next three points to finish the frame.

• SET 4 (14-25) | Rutgers opened with the first three points, but Maryland responded with a 5-0 run to take the lead for good. A Visintine attack stopped the Terp burst and an Aspen Maxwell kill knotted the score at 5-5. The Terps pulled ahead behind a 12-4 outpouring and denied the Scarlet Knight attack behind 10 blocks.

• The Scarlet Knights are back home at Jersey Mike's Arena on Sunday, Oct. 19 to host #12 Purdue on Letterwinner Day/Homecoming Weekend at 1 p.m. Former Senior Woman's Administrator Kate Hickey will be honored prior to the game and Rutgers volleyball alumnae will be recognized between sets two and three.  Click here to purchase tickets.