COLUMBUS, Ohio – Rutgers volleyball returned to the win column on Friday night by sweeping Ohio State at the Covelli Center.

The Scarlet Knights picked up not only their first-ever sweep of the Buckeyes, but their first win over Ohio State in Big Ten play, 25-17, 25-17, 25-19. RU also earned its second win in the Big Ten Discover Volleyball Challenge.

The sweep was RU's eighth of the season, marking the most sweeps by the program since 2000 when the Scarlet Knights posted 15 straight set victories
 

• Senior Lexi Visintine led RU on the attack and is now tied as the rally-era season leader in aces. Visintine dropped in 12 kills, hitting .429 for the night, with a pair of aces. She is tied with Tracy Wright's rally-era season record of 38 aces set back in 2013.
• Aiding the attack were sophomore Lily Bolen with 30 helpers and junior Jenna DeLaMater with a pair of aces on back-to-back points to take the first frame. Bolen cracked the top ten rally-era assist season leaders list and currently sits in ninth with 790 assists to date. She needs 41 more to move into eighth place past Inna Balyko (2021).
• Sophomore Alleigh Dutton posted a match-high 10 digs.
• Junior Zora Hardison racked up six blocks while also swinging .417 for six kills.
• Sophomore Apsen Maxwell's seven kills and trio of blocks helped her to crack the rally-era season points leaders list with 354.0 to date. She needs just one more point to move into ninth past Alex Lassa (2012), four more to surpass Sahbria McLetchie (2018) for eighth and 14 more to land in seventh past Meme Fletcher (2015).

• SET 1 (25-17) | The frame was tied for a ninth and final time at 13-13 before the Scarlet Knights pulled away for the opening frame victory.  Rutgers went on a 7-2 run to stay in front for good. After the Buckeyes pulled within three at 20-17, the Scarlet Knights rattled off five unanswered to take the frame capped by Jenna DeLaMater serving up back-to-back aces to seal the victory. RU swung a match-best .333 with Lexi Visintine and Aspen Maxwell leading the attack with a trio of kills each. Maxwell also made a trio of stops at the net.

• SET 2 (25-17) | While the score was the same, it was all Rutgers from start to finish. The Buckeyes committed nine errors on the attack while the RU defense helped hold the hosts hitting just .031. Natalie Robinson was successful on four of her five swings, ending the set swinging at a .800 clip.  Freshman Imani Howell took to the court for her first Big Ten kill during a 5-0 RU burst that put the Scarlet Knights up 16-10.

• SET 3 (25-19) | Rutgers controlled the third set after an 8-1 run gave the Scarlet Knights a 10-5 edge. The Buckeyes closed to within a pair of points, trailing 14-12, but RU responded with the next four and only continued to increase its lead. Visintine added five kills to her night's total and joined Zora Hardison with a trio of blocks.

• Rutgers volleyball heads to East Lansing, Michigan, to face Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
• The Scarlet Knights' next home games will be on Friday, Nov. 7, at Jersey Mike's Arena against Michigan and Sunday, Nov. 9, against Ohio State at the College Ave Gym.  Click here to purchase tickets for matches at Jersey Mike's Arena. Admission is free to the College Ave Gym.