PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball made it three sweeps in a row and six straight for the first time since 2019, closing out its week with a 25-23, 32-30, 25-21 victory over New Hampshire Friday night at Jersey Mike's Arena.
The Scarlet Knights improved to 7-2 overall and 3-0 at home, while the Wildcats fell to 5-3 on the year.
During its win streak, the Scarlet Knights have dropped only one set and captured sweeps in five of six matches.
- Rutgers last won six in a row between Sept. 6 and Sept. 14, 2019 in wins over Towson, Princeton, Virginia, New Hampshire, Quinnipiac and Colgate, with the final three matches all sweeps as well.
- Sophomore Aspen Maxwell powered the offense to 15 kills and hit .393 on the evening to go along with six digs, three blocks and an ace.
- Sophomore Natalie Robinson tied her career high with 13 kills, going .579 on the attack with only two miscues on 19 swings.
- Senior Tara Garvey also reached double-figure kills, swinging away for 10.
- Sophomore Lily Bolen put up 41 assists and six digs.
- Graduate student Lauren Wilcock came off the bench for a trio of aces with senior Lexi Visintine and Bolen also serving up a pair.
- Classmate Alleigh Dutton led both teams with nine digs.
- SET 1 (25-23) | It was an 8-2 start for the Wildcats, but it was the Scarlet Knights coming back after four ties and three lead changes to take the opener. Trailing 21-19, RU scored five unanswered, including a pair of aces from Lexi Visintine, to get to set point. The frame closed with Natalie Robinson giving the Scarlet Knights the 1-0 lead on a solo stop. Robinson also added seven points on eight swings and hit .875 during the set.
- SET 2 (30-32) | The marathon set saw seven ties down the stretch, but ultimately it was the Scarlet Knights emerging with the win. A Tara Garvey attack gave RU a 17-12 lead, but New Hampshire came back with five unanswered to tie the frame up at 17-17. The Scarlet Knights went back in front and Garvey and Robinson teamed at the net to put RU at set point up, 24-23. While the Wildcats thwarted Rutgers' opportunity for the win, another Garvey kill set up RU for another set point. This time, however, UNH used back-to-back kills for their own chance to take the frame. Both squads traded points on the next five chances until a swing from Maxwell and error from the Wildcats put Rutgers at another set point chance up, 29-28. New Hampshire again stayed alive, but Robinson came calling with the offensive opportunity for RU's fourth chance to take the frame. The Wildcats kept using all their lives, knotting the score at 30-30, but another kill from Robinson and a miscue from UNH finally gave RU the stanza and a 2-0 lead. Maxwell captured points on seven of her 12 attacks to hit .583 for the set, while as a team, RU hit a match-best .472.
- SET 3 (25-21) | UNH led 10-7, but from there, Rutgers proceeded to rattle off nine unanswered and used a 14-2 run that the Wildcats could not recover from. The burst saw RU out to a 21-12 advantage, but New Hampshire managed to stay in the set to pull within a pair after a 9-2 run. After calling time ahead, 23-21, Rutgers put away the match behind kills from Robinson and Garvey. The Scarlet Knights only allowed UHN six kills and held the Wildcats to hitting .000. Garvey finished the set with four kills.
- The Rutgers volleyball team hits the road one last time for nonconference play, traveling to Fairfax, Virginia, to meet up with Coppin State on Friday, Sept. 19 and host George Mason on Saturday, Sept. 20.
- The Scarlet Knights return home on Tuesday, Sept. 23 to host Columbia in its nonconference finale. Click here to purchase tickets.
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