MATCH STATS
- Rutgers def. Siena 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-6)
- Rutgers moves to 3-1; Siena drops to 0-4
- New Brunswick, New Jersey
- Box Score
With a brutal Big Ten schedule still weeks away, Rutgers used a powerful serve to earn a straight-set victory over the young Siena Saints.
Rutgers cruised to an easy win in the first, with sophomore middle blocker Stasa Miljevic getting two early aces to establish the tone. The Scarlet Knights would go on to serve 11 total aces before the night was over.
In the second, Siena built a 15-13 lead on a kill by freshman outside Nicole Deobler and held the lead until a Rutgers ace by sophomore setter Megan Sharkey knotted the score at 17. After a Saints timeout, a Siena attack error followed by two more Sharkey aces gave the Scarlet Knights the cushion they would need to take the set 25-20.
The third set was all Rutgers, building an early 10-2 lead on a kill by Miljevic and never looking back on their way to a 25-6 final score. Freshman opposite Kamilla Cieslik led the Scarlet Knights with 12 points on nine kills, two aces and two block assists.
The young Siena Saints were led by Deobler with 7.5 points. Freshman setter Tyla Parker finished with 17 assists. With the loss, Siena drops to 0-4.
Rutgers competes in the Seton Hall Classic this weekend, playing against both Buffalo and host Seton Hall. The Saints stay on the road, traveling to Binghamton for a September 5th match.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy: Rutgers Athletics
Volleyball Sweeps Siena in Home Opener
Victory in Set 3 is program’s most lopsided in 25-point rally scoring era
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (Aug. 30, 2017) – Rutgers volleyball topped Siena in straight sets, and in historic fashion on Wednesday evening in College Ave. Gym for its 2017 home opener. With a 25-6 victory in the closing stanza, the Scarlet Knights posted the most lopsided victory in a set since 25-point rally scoring began in 2008.
RU wins its third straight match to improve to 3-1 overall, while the Saints drop to 0-4 to start the season.
Junior outside hitter Sahbria McLetchie and freshman opposite hitter Kamila Cieslik led the attack with nine kills apiece, while sophomore setter Megan Sharkey passed out 24 assists with three services and a career-high four total blocks. The squad hit .286 as a team, a season-high, due in large part to a .682 clip in Set 3 with 16 kills and one error on 22 attempts.
Set 1 (Rutgers 25, Siena 18)
An early 4-0 run gave Rutgers a 5-2 lead, which was quickly erased by a Siena 4-1 spurt to tie the game at 6-6. The Scarlet Knights used separate 5-0 and 7-0 runs to take control. Sophomore libero Karysa Swackenberg led the defense with five digs in the set, while sophomore middle blocker Stasa Miljevic and Cieslik each served up two aces.
Set 2 (Rutgers 25, Siena 20)
The Saints took it to Rutgers early in the set with a 5-1 start, forcing a methodical Rutgers comeback. RU eventually knotted the score at 12-12 on a Cieslik kill, prompting a back-and-forth affair en route to a 17-15 Siena lead. From there, Sharkey served three aces and Cieslik capped a 6-0 run as Rutgers took a 21-17 lead in the crucial moments of the match. Sophomore middle Jasmine Stackhouse and Cieslik combined on a block to clinch the set.
Set 3 (Rutgers 25, Siena 6)
McLetchie, senior outside hitter Meme Fletcher and Miljevic all hit a perfect 1.000 in the historic set win. McLetchie was 5-for-5, McLetchie was 4-for-4 and Miljevic converted both of her attempts, all with zero errors. Passing was crisp, errors were rare and separate runs of 7-0 and 8-0 quickly had Rutgers in control before closing out the set, and match, with the final five points. McLetchie had two kills on that final run, including the match-clincher.
Match Notes
- Rutgers improves to 3-0 against Siena all-time.
- Fletcher finished with eight kills, two aces, two digs and block.
- The Scarlet Knights held preseason All-MAAC Team selection Sam Pethokoukis to one kill and one block.
- Swackenberg led the defense with a season-high 13 digs, followed by McLetchie’s eight – also a season-high.
- Rutgers recorded a season-high nine team blocks, sparked by Stackhouse’ s five block assists and four each from Miljevic and Sharkey.
Up Next
Rutgers heads back out on the road for the Seton Hall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 2. The Scarlet Knights take on Buffalo at 11 a.m. before facing the host Pirates at 7:30 p.m.
Courtesy: Siena Athletics
VOLLEYBALL FALLS TO RUTGERS
Siena Swept by Scarlet Knights
Aug. 30, 2017
Siena Volleyball fell 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-6) to Rutgers on Wednesday evening.
Dakota Jackson, Nicole Deobler, Julia Burzynski all recorded five kills for the Saints (0-4). Tyla Parker dished out 17 assists in the match.
Sahbria McLetchie and Kamila Cieslik tallied nine kills apiece for Rutgers (3-1). The Scarlet Knights recorded nine total blocks against the Saints.
It was a close first set with the two teams exchanging points back and forth. Rutgers went on a 3-0 run to take a 9-6 lead and never looked back. Siena continued to battle and cut the deficit 17-15. The Scarlet Knights then went on a 7-0 run to take a 24-15 lead. Rutgers took the first set 25-18.
Siena came out swinging in the second set and led 3-0 early. The Saints continued to hold the lead and held off the Scarlet Knights for most of the second set. Siena led 17-15 before Rutgers went on a 6-0 run to take a 21-17 lead. Rutgers was able to close out the second set with a 25-20 win.
Rutgers started off strong coming off their 2-0 lead in the match with a 3-0 run. Siena battled and trailed 12-4. The Scarlet Knights went on a 9-0 run to take a 20-5 lead. Rutgers took the final set and match 25-6.
Siena continues their road trip and travels to Binghamton, New York to take on Binghamton on Wednesday, September 5. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
Leave a Reply