NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -  For the second straight match, Rutgers volleyball went to five sets.

It was a back-and-forth battle between Rutgers and Ohio State, with the Buckeyes getting the better of the Scarlet Knights 25-23, 18-25, 25-23, 18-25, and 12-15.

Senior outside hitter Lexi Visintine collected a career-high 19 kills while sophomore setter Lily Bolen captured her eighth double-double of the season behind a career-high 55 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Imani Howell, in her first collegiate start, registered her first double-figure match in kills with 16 while leading the team in blocks.
 

• Four Scarlet Knights were in double-figure kills led by Lexi Visintine's match and career-best 19 kills. She surpassed her previous high of 16 set against Marist in the season opener and the previous five-set match with Michigan.
• Freshman Imani Howell made her first career start in the middle and put away 16 kills and led RU with six total blocks, including a pair of solo stops. She bested her previous highs of two kills against Marist, Rider and the last meeting with Ohio State as well as her previous high of three blocks also set against the Broncs.
• Senior Tara Garvey added a season-best 14 kills while junior Zora Hardison added 10 kills on 14 attacks with only one error, swinging a match-best .643.
• Lily Bolen set a new career mark with 55 helpers, surpassing her previous high of 51 set against Buffalo and Liberty during the opening week of the season.
• Additionally, it was back-to-back doubles for her 10^th double-double of her career behind her 12 digs.  
• At the line, RU served up six aces, including a pair from junior Jenna DeLaMater.
• Sophomore Alleigh Dutton posted a match-best 13 digs.

• SET 1 (23-25) | The opening frame was close the entire way with 14 total ties. Both teams were efficient on the swing, with Rutgers hitting .552 while the Buckeyes swung .455. Tara Garvey dropped in a kill for the set's final even score at 20-20, but the Buckeyes followed with kills from Mia Tuman and Hannah Jones to take the lead. Zora Hardison sent her swing right to the middle to pull RU within a point as RU trailed 24-23. OSU, however, came up with the attack on the next serve to win the frame.

• SET 2 (25-18) | After a 4-4 tie to open, it was all Scarlet Knights as RU only allowed the Buckeyes back-to-back points twice the rest of the way as they outscored the visitors 21-13. The Scarlet Knights limited OSU to hitting .091 while Imani Howell dropped in five kills and hit .429 for the frame, while also adding a pair of blocks.

• SET 3 (23-25) | Ohio State took the set with the same score as its opening frame victory. While the Buckeyes held a 15-9 edge at the midway point, the Scarlet Knights battled back with a 7-1 run, including a string of six unanswered. The run, capped by a swing from Tara Garvey, evened the frame at 16-16. OSU, however, returned to the forefront with a 5-1 run. RU pulled within a point with the help of Howell's two blocks and a kill during a 4-1 burst that saw the Scarlet Knights trail 22-21. The Buckeyes got to set point, however, a kill from Visintine and Aspen Maxwell kept OSU working for the win as RU trailed 24-23. Ultimately, though, OSU pushed through for the set point on a kill from Ashley Carr.

• SET 4 (25-18) | Just like the Buckeyes did the previous set, the Scarlet Knights picked up their second set win by the identical score of their first set win. Tied at 7-7 all, Rutgers took the lead for good, employing a 7-2 run capped by a Lily Bolen ace to give the hosts a 14-9 advantage.  Ohio State would not come closer than three the rest of the way. Garvey led the attack with seven kills and a .500 hitting percentage, making only one error on 12 attempts.

• SET 5 (13-15) | Four ties and three lead changes later, it would be the Buckeyes taking the fifth and deciding set. Hardison swung to give RU a 7-5 lead, but OSU responded with the next three points for an 8-7 edge. The lead went back to the Scarlet Knights off a Howell kill and Buckeye miscue, but OSU regained the lead with the next four. After an Abby Yoder ace put the Buckeyes up 12-9, the Scarlet Knights came back on a pair of kills from Howell and an attack error from the Buckeyes to even the score at 12-12. The Buckeyes, however, captured the match's final three points for the win.

• Rutgers volleyball partakes in its final road games of the year, traveling to the West Coast to meet up with No. 17 USC on Friday, Nov. 14 and UCLA on Saturday, Nov. 15 in Los Angeles and No. 18 Indiana on Thursday, Nov. 20.
• The Scarlet Knights return home to wrap up the season series with Minnesota in front of the BTN cameras on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 4:30 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets.