Volleyball Takes Another Top 25 Set Win In 3-1 Setback To #21 Minnesota

Friday, October 9

Piscataway, N.J.

7:00 PM

Rutgers

10-7,1-4Big Ten

Minnesota

8-5,2-3Big Ten

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Minnesota	25	23	25	25	3
Rutgers	20	25	22	17	1

Box Score (PDF)

Malia Romes on the attack against #21 Minnesota at Jersey Mike's Arena

Volleyball Takes Another Top 25 Set Win In 3-1 Setback To #21 Minnesota

Oct 09 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For the second-straight match, Rutgers volleyball was able to take a set off a top 25 program.

After dropping the first set 25-20, the Scarlet Knights came back in set two against #21 Minnesota to even the match with a 25-23 victory. After a tight third frame that the Golden Gophers took 25-22, Minnesota took the match with a 25-17 fourth set win.

The loss dropped RU to 10-7 overall and 1-4 in the Big Ten. Minnesota, meanwhile, upped its mark to 10-7 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten.

STANDOUT STATS

For the third time this season, the Scarlet Knights had four Scarlet Knights in double-figure kills. Malia Romes hit .528 with 15 kills on 26 attempts with only one error all night. Both Skylar George and Addison Wiemann put away 13 kills. George finished the night with her fourth double-double of the year and 14^th of her career with 15 digs. Wiemann, meanwhile, reached double-digit kills for the first time in her career with 13. Imani Howell hit .444 with 10 digs and also added two blocks.
Howell's lone solo block on the night moved her into a tie for sixth on the rally-era season leaders with 15 to date and is now two away from joining the rally-era career top 10.
Both Lily Bolen and Brooke Baldwin put up 26 assists.
Kenzie Dyrstad came up with 19 digs.

KEY MOMENTS

SET 1 (20-25) | 9-2 run put the Golden Gophers in front 12-6. Minnesota led 17-11 when Rutgers managed to reduce its deficit to three. A 6-3 burst by the Scarlet Knights, capped by one of five opening frame kills from Malia Romes, saw RU trail 20-17. Minnesota responded with the next two points and both squads traded points the rest of the way. Both sides accumulated 37 attacks in the opener, but the Gophers hit .459, amassing only two errors. Romes ended the set hitting .625 for the Scarlet Knights with no errors on eight swings.

SET 2 (25-23) | Imani Howell, Skylar George and Romes combined for 16 kills and hit over .400 together as Scarlet Knights claimed their second straight set win over a top 25 program. Minnesota went on a 7-1 run for an 11-8 lead, but Rutgers responded by breaking open the set with a 12-5 run to go out to a 20-16 edge. Both Imani Howell and Romes contributed three kills apiece in the outburst. The Gophers generated the next three points to pull within one, down 20-19, but Skylar George kept RU in front with back-to-back kills. Minnesota took three of the next four and pulled within a point again as RU held on to a 24-23 edge, but a swing from George locked up the frame.

S2 | For the second-straight match the Scarlet Knights have taken a set off a Top 25 team 👏 📺: https://t.co/FFSxpqdEDO (B1G+) 📊:https://t.co/CUjzfGyL1o #GoRU ⚔️ https://t.co/UK4wxwJ4ZK
— Rutgers Volleyball (@RUvball) October 10, 2026

SET 3 (22-25) | A Minnesota service error at Rutgers up 14-11, but the Golden Gophers responded with six unanswered to take over the lead. The Scarlet Knights pulled within a point on five occasions, including a kill from Howell that had RU trailing 22-21. The Gophers, however, were able to take the frame with three of the final points of the stanza. Aspen Maxwell and Romes punched in a trio of kills apiece.

SET 4 (17-25) | The Golden Gophers took a 9-5 advantage to start and held a 15-9 edge at the midway point. A 4-1 Rutgers run, including swings by Addison Wiemann, Zharia Harris-Waddy and Maxwell, brought the Scarlet Knights within three, down 16-13. Romes' final kill of the evening saw RU trail 20-16 when the Gophers closed on a 5-1 run. Wiemann finished the final frame with four points on five swings to hit .800.

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