PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball returned to Jersey Mike’s Arena on Sunday to face its second-straight Big Ten top 25 opponent. No. 19 Purdue emerged with a three-set victory in a match that featured 24 total ties 25-19, 25-20, 25-21.
The Scarlet Knights dropped to 8-4 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten while the Boilermakers upped their mark to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
- Redshirt sophomore Alissa Kinkela captured a match-high 18 kills, tying her season best.]
- Fifth-year senior Alyssa Nayar posted 20 assists while freshman Georgia Lee made her Rutgers debut logging 13 helpers.
- Senior Madyson Chitty, who was honored for her 1,000th career dig prior to the match, led RU with 11.
- Redshirt sophomore Rikki Williams was RU’s top defender at the net with five total blocks.
- Set 1 (19-25) | Rutgers claimed an early lead as two aces from Bekah Williams and blocks from the hands of Alyssa Nayar and Kristina Grkovic gave the Scarlet Knights an 8-6 edge. Purdue, however, pushed in front with a 10-1 run. A swing by Grkovic knotted the score at 9-9 for the fifth and final time before the Boilermakers captured the next seven points for a 16-9 edge to stay ahead. Alissa Kinkela led all players with seven kills hitting at a .545 clip.
- Set 2 (20-25) | Alissa Kinkela added another seven kills as RU had an early advantage. Rutgers played out to a three-point lead midway as a kill from Kinkela saw RU up 11-8 and block assists from Alyssa Nayar and Kristina Grkovic had the Scarlet Knights lead 14-11. Purdue came back with five of the next…
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