Rutgers University’s women’s volleyball team was defeated by Maryland in a four-set match held in College Park, Maryland. The match featured close competition, with the first three sets decided by narrow margins. Rutgers secured the opening set 26-24, but Maryland responded with victories in the next two sets, 25-23 and 27-25, before taking the final set 25-14.
The teams were evenly matched throughout much of the contest, with 27 ties and 11 lead changes over four sets. Following this result, Rutgers’ overall record stands at 10-9, including a 1-6 mark in Big Ten play and a 1-2 record in the Discover Volleyball Challenge. Maryland improved to an overall record of 8-9 and also holds a 1-6 conference record.
Senior Tara Garvey led Rutgers with a season-high 12 kills. Sophomore Aspen Maxwell contributed 11 kills and nine digs, along with two aces. Sophomore Lily Bolen recorded 38 assists, two aces, and seven digs. Senior Lexi Visintine tied her season high with four aces; she now has 88 career aces and is one shy of entering the top four for rally-era career aces at Rutgers. Her performance this season places her into a tie for sixth on Rutgers’ rally-era single-season list. Tracy Wright currently holds the program’s rally-era season record with 38 aces set in 2013.
Sophomore Natalie Robinson led Rutgers with four total blocks while Alleigh Dutton had a match-high of thirteen digs.
In key moments from each set: In the first set, which included sixteen ties and seven lead changes, Tara Garvey secured victory for Rutgers after Zora Hardison tied it at 24 and Lily Bolen assisted Garvey for the winning point. In set two, Rutgers held a late lead at 23-20 but Maryland closed out with five straight points to even the match. Set three saw Rutgers up by six points before Maryland rallied; despite multiple chances to secure the set win for Rutgers—including Garvey’s eleventh kill—Maryland took three consecutive points to claim it. In the fourth set, although Rutgers started strong by scoring first, Maryland gained control after an early run and finished ahead behind ten blocks.
Rutgers will return home to Jersey Mike’s Arena on Sunday, October 19 to host #12 Purdue during Letterwinner Day/Homecoming Weekend at 1 p.m. Former Senior Woman Administrator Kate Hickey will be honored before the game and volleyball alumnae will be recognized between sets two and three.
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