Courtesy of Rutgers Athletics
The Rutgers women’s volleyball team returns home for two ranked matchups with No. 22 Michigan on Friday, Sept. 30 and No. 18 Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 1. First serve for both matches is set for 7 p.m. ET live on BTN Plus. To learn more about BTN Plus and subscription packages, click here.
Game 1: Friday, Sept. 30 vs. Michigan 7 p.m. Live Stats | BTN Plus ($)
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 1 vs. Michigan State 7 p.m. Live Stats | BTN Plus ($)
RU’S LAST TIME OUT
Rutgers (4-11, 0-2 Big Ten) dropped its opening Big Ten matches against then-No. 18 Penn State (3-0) at home and Illinois (3-0) on the road. The Scarlet Knights opened their first weekend of conference action with at least one ranked foe for the third consecutive season.
Junior outside hitter Meme Fletcher led RU with 3.33 kills per set across the two contests. Fifth-year senior Mikaela Matthews posted a team-best 1.17 blocks per set in the matches. Matthews ranks eighth in the conference with 1.27 blocks per stanza and 12th with a .355 hitting percentage overall this season.
SCOUTING NO. 22 MICHIGAN
Michigan (12-2, 1-1 Big Ten) split its conference matches last week. The Wolverines fell to No. 1 Nebraska in three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 on Friday before topping Iowa in four sets on Saturday. UM’s first loss of the season came at the hands of Pittsburgh in a five-set contest.
Abby Cole owns a team-best .328 hitting percentage and is averaging 3.60 kills per set, a mark that ranks ninth in the Big Ten. Jenna Lerg leads the league with 3.77 digs per frame, while Cori Crocker sits at 11th with 1.23 blocks per set.
UM owns victories in both meetings between the programs dating back to 2014, RU’s first season in the league. Last season, Rutgers was edged by Michigan in a four-set battle on Big Ten Network. After dropping the first two sets, the Scarlet Knights rallied to a 25-21 win in the third before falling in a slim 25-23 fourth set. Fletcher led RU with a double-double, including 13 kills and 14 digs.
SCOUTING NO. 18 MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State (12-2, 1-1 Big Ten) opened league action with a 3-0 victory over Iowa on Friday. The Spartans then took Nebraska to five sets, suffering a loss by scores of 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, and 14-16. MSU also lost to then-No. 7 Florida in three sets earlier in the season.
Alyssa Garvelink ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a .369 hitting percentage. As a team, MSU leads the conference in service aces (2.13 aces/set) with Autumn Bailey ranking third with 0.43 aces per set.
MSU has been victorious in all five meetings between the programs. The teams have met twice in each of the last two seasons.
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Courtesy of Rutgers Athletics
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