Volleyball Goes To Five Sets With Illinois

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers volleyball went to five sets in the series finale with Illinois on Sunday afternoon at Jersey Mike’s Arena.

The Scarlet Knights took sets one and three with 25-17 and 25-22 scores, while the Fighting Illini reversed the scores in sets two and four and emerging with a 15-11 win in the fifth frame.

Rutgers, who battled Illinois to its second fifth-set match at Jersey Mike’s Arena in the series history, fell to 9-11 overall and 1-9 in the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini, playing in back-to-back five-set victories, improved to 10-10 overall and 5-5 in league action.

• Three Scarlet Knights racked up double-figure kills with senior Kristina Grkovic and redshirt sophomore Alissa Kinkela leading the way with 14 each. Grkovic swung a match-high .400. Sophomore Taylor Humphrey, meanwhile, added 11.
• Humphrey also led the block with four total stops, including a career-high tying two solo blocks. Redshirt sophomore Rikki Williams and freshman Anna Hartman logged three stops each with Hartman collecting the first two solo rejections of her career.
• Fifth-year senior Alyssa Nayar captured her eighth double-double of the year and 29th career double-digit assist and digs match. She racked up 45 helpers and 17 digits.
• Senior Madyson Chitty was also in double-figure digs tying her career-high with 22. She also moved up to seventh all-time and third in rally-era career digs with 1147 over her four seasons “On The Banks”.
• Rutgers led Illinois…