Friday, September 25
Lincoln, Neb.
8:00 PM
Rutgers
at
Nebraska
Photo by: Joe Cucinotta
Volleyball Opens B1G Play At #1 Nebraska & Iowa
Sep 24 | Women's Volleyball
PISCATAWAY, N.J.Ā ā Rutgers volleyball opens up Big Ten play on the road this weekend, traveling to #1 Nebraska on Friday, Sept. 25 and Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 26.Ā
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Rally-Era Career
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Take a look at the climb during the Caitlin Schweihofer Era of Rutgers volleyball.
- 2025 -
Rutgers surpassed its win total from the previous season nine games into the year, fueled by a seven-match win streak, the longest for the squad since 2012. The Scarlet Knights collected sweeps in six of the seven games. Against the Red Flash, RU swung .456, marking the best hitting percentage by the Scarlet Knights in a rally-era match. In nonconference action, RU played to a 9-3 mark with seven sweeps and a 4-0 home mark. In Big Ten action, the Scarlet Knights set not only a school record for attendance, but the 8,000 to witness the Scarlet Knights take on No. 1 Nebraska at Jersey Mike's Arena marked the largest crowd to watch a volleyball match in the state of New Jersey. RU also picked up its first-ever Big Ten win over Ohio State as the sweep marked the most by the program since 2000 and the first time in either Big East or Big Ten play that the Scarlet Knights have held an opponent to under 20 in a match. At the end of the 2025 season, Rutgers had captured the best hitting percentage and most aces of any team during the rally era and had Lexi Visintine set the rally-era season record in aces, becoming only the second Scarlet Knight of the rally era with over 100 career aces. In Big Ten action, the Scarlet Knights posted the most assists and aces in a season since joining the league, with Lily Bolen averaging the most assists per set in a Big Ten season. Additional season stat notables included Visinstine with the most aces since 1988, Aspen Maxwell with the most kills per set since 2009, Natalie Robinson with the best hitting percentage since 2011, Bolen with the most assists and assists per set since 2012, and Maxwell with the most kills since 2013.
- 2024 -
A youthful Scarlet Knight squad continued to rewrite the Rutgers record book, putting up several notable career and season numbers as the Big Ten expanded to the West Coast. On the attack, Alissa Kinkela, the squad's first-ever All-Big Ten attacker from 2023 and an Australian Olympic hopeful, cracked the top 10 all-time in career kills, the second most rally-era career kills and the third most rally-era career kills per set. Following the season, Kinkela signed to play professionally in South Korea. In addition to Kinkela's mark in the record book, Rutgers put nine entries into the rally-era individual season top 10 records, with a new benchmark set for blocks in a rally-era season from rookie Natalie Robinson. Ā At the same time, junior Lexi Visintine was just two aces shy of setting a new season standard in the category.
- 2023 -
More milestones continued for the Scarlet Knight program in 2023. The team was honored with its first-ever All-Big Ten attacker, captured the most wins and best nonconference record since 2012, improved its set win total by 45% over the previous season and set a school record in attendance. The Scarlet Knights collected the most kills and digs as a program since 2012, the highest serve percentage since 2016 and the most assists since 2018. Alissa Kinkela, who led the team in kills, was named Second Team All-Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights placed 12 entries into the rally-era individual season top 10 records, 13 entries into the rally-era team top 10 records, while collecting the most sets played, kills, assists, assists per set, digs and solo blocks by a team in conference play since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Senior libero Madyson Chitty finished her career fifth all-time in career digs and senior middle blocker Kristina Grkovic concluded her career fifth all-time in hitting percentage while setting the rally-era record for solo blocks in a season and career. Rutgers improved its attendance by 50% while setting a program record of 6,757 in attendance at Jersey Mike's Arena when facing No. 1 Nebraska on Nov. 5. Additionally, head coach Caitlin Schweihofer registered her 100th career victory.
- 2022 -
The fall of 2022 saw RU 3-0 for the first time since 1998, with four Scarlet Knights named to All-Tournament squads. By the season's end, Rutgers had 11 entries on the rally-era season leaders list, including tying the record for most kills in a rally-era three-set match and graduate student transfer Megan Vernon, who wrapped up her career ranked second in the rally era in solo blocks in only two seasons as a Scarlet Knight.
- 2021 -
The second season of the Caitlin Schweihofer era saw the Scarlet Knights move a majority of its home games to Jersey Mike's Arena (formerly known as The RAC), playing members of the nation's top conference in the 8,000-seat arena. Rutgers captured set wins over #8 Purdue and #15 Penn State and took Illinois to five sets in front of a national audience on BTN.Ā
- SPRING 2021 -
In Caitlin Schweihofer's first season "On The Banks", played in the spring due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights established themselves as a program on the rise with numerous program and Big Ten firsts. Among the Scarlet Knights' spring 2021 accomplishments were the first-ever All-Big Ten honoree, the first-ever home-opening Big Ten victory, the first-ever Big Ten series sweep, set victories over more than one Top 10 program, along with the team's first-ever wins over Indiana and Michigan State. RU established new team, season and match records for aces, reset program Big Ten game bests in kills, attempts, attack percentage and assists and collected individual conference superlatives in attack percentage, assists and digs.
The Scarlet Knights are celebrating 50 seasons of Rutgers volleyball in 2026 and will honor all letterwinners during homecoming weekend with a letterwinner open practice and football pregame tailgate on Saturday, Oct. 4 and a letterwinner pregame reception and in-match recognition prior to RU taking on Indiana in front of the BTN cameras on Sunday, Oct. 5.Ā Click here to RSVP.
Follow Rutgers women's volleyball onĀ Facebook,Ā XĀ andĀ Instagram.
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| MATCH DAY INFO |
| Venue: | Devaney Center - Lincoln, Neb. | Xtreme Arena - Coralville, Iowa |
| Game Notes: | RutgersĀ | Nebraska | Iowa |
| Statistics: | Rutgers | Nebraska | IowaĀ Ā |Ā Big Ten |
| Schedule: | Friday, Sept. 25 at #1 Nebraska - 8:00 p.m. (ET) Video (B1G+) |Ā Live Stats Saturday, Sept. 26 at Iowa - 7:00 p.m. (ET) Video (B1G+) |Ā Live Stats Ā |
| Social Media: | Facebook | XĀ | Instagram |
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| ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS |
- Rutgers begins its Big Ten journey, ending nonconference play at 9-3 for the second-straight season, tying for the most nonconference victories of the Caitlin Schweihofer Era. The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 2-1 weekend at the JackĀ Kaiser Classic, which saw Rutgers with a pair of five-set wins and Skylar George and Kenzie Dyrstad named to the all-tournament team.Ā In the 3-2 victory over Bryant, RU completed its first reverse sweep since 2022 over Michigan State behind 22 kills by George. Dyrstad collected a career-high 23 digs in the 3-2 victory in the tournament finale over host St. John's.Ā
- Entering conference play, Rutgers as a team is ranked in the top three in the Big Ten in aces per set, team aces, team assists, team digs, team kills, team attacks and team blocks. Ranking individually among the conference's top ten are Karis Willow (aces per set & total aces), Lily Bolen (aces per set & total aces),Ā Imani HowellĀ (total blocks) andĀ Kenzie Dyrstad (digs per set & total digs).
- On the offense, the Scarlet Knights are led by freshman Malia Romes with 2.60 kills per frame and transfer Skylar George at 2.47 kills per frame. George, who in addition to her career-high 22 kills last weekend, posted a pair of double-doubles with 22 kills and 15 digs vs. Bryant and 13 kills and 14 digs against St. John's. Romes, meanwhile, has reached double-digit kills in eight of RU's 12 matches, including 14 in her Scarlet Knight debut vs. Purdue Fort Wayne and against Vanderbilt during the Allstate Big Ten/SEC Challenge.
- RU runs a 5-2 with Brooke Baldwin putting up 5.50 assists per set and Lily Bolen directing the attack with 5.38 helpers per frame.
- Bolen is also a Scarlet Knight to watch at the service line and is nearing the 100 career ace mark. Bolen has 24 aces to her credit this season, including five served up against Bellarmine and LIU. She is seven aces away from becoming the third Scarlet Knight of the rally era with 100 or more aces in a career. RU will also look to Karis Willow, who has 25 aces to date, including seven served up against Bellarmine. WillowĀ is second in the Big Ten, behind Mckenna Wucherer of Minnesota,Ā averaging 0.64 per set. Both Willow and Bolen top the Big Ten in total aces, while as a team, Rutgers leads the conference with 102 total aces with Iowa next on the list with 83.
- Defensively, Imani Howell leads the block with 55 total stops, 10 solo blocks and 1.38 rejections per set. Howell is coming off a career-high nine blocks in RU's last outing, a 3-2 win at St. John's.
- Dyrstad also leads the defense with 3.78 digs per set, leading RU in the category in all but one match this season.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
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| SCOUTING NEBRASKA |
- The Huskers defeatedĀ Missouri on Wednesday night to enter Big Ten action at 11-0, one of seven undefeated teams in the country. All but three of the Big Red's victories have comeĀ in sweeps.
- Harper Murray enters the weekend swinging away for 3.06Ā kills per set with Teraya Sigler second on the stat sheet with 2.61Ā per frame. Berge Reilly, meanwhile, is putting up 10.60 assists per set and Laney Choboy leads at the service line with 14 aces.
- At the net, Nebraska will look to Manaia Ogbechie, who has accumulated 39 total blocks for 1.35Ā per stanza. Olivia Mauch also aids the defense behind 3.19Ā digs pet set.Ā Ā
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| SCOUTING IOWA |
- Iowa defeated Milwaukee, 3-1, on Tuesday night to enter the weekend at 11-3 overall and is off to its best start since 2006. The Hawkeyes, who meet Ohio State on Friday night, enter Big Ten play riding a five-match win streak.
- Liv Mogridge leads the attack with 3.00 kills per set, swinging at a .355 clip, while Hallie Steponaitis contributes 2.69 kills per frame. Aiding the offense is Jenna Meitzler with 11.08 assists per set and a team-leading 19 aces.
- The Hawkeyes are led on the defense by Hannah Whittingstall with 61 total blocks, averaging 1.20 per set, and Henlee Moszkowicz with 3.37 digs per set.Ā
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| ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS |
- Last weekend, Skylar George and Kenzie Dyrstad were named to the Jack Kaiser Classic All-Tournament Team.
- In being named to the All-Tournament Team, George averaged 2.86 kills and 2.71 digs per set, including a career-high 22 kills in the win over Bryant, and Dyrstad posted 3.93 digs per set on the weekend, including a career-high 23 against St. John's.
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| SISTER-SISTER |
- Nebraska natives Kenzie and Kami Dyrstad are among the 10 teams featuring siblings in the same program.Ā
| School | Sister #1 | Sister #2 |
| Rutgers | Kenzie Dyrstad (senior - L/DS) | Kami Dyrstad (freshman - L/DS) |
| St. John's | Kya Harris (junior - MB) | Sumaiyya Harris (freshman - MB/OPP) |
| Fresno State | Olivia Lombardi (r-junior - L) | Gabby Lombardi (r-sophomore S) |
| IU Indy | Kate White (senior - OPP) | Lauren White (freshman- S) |
| Louisiana Tech | Anaya Hairston (senior - MB) | Gabrielle Hairston (junior - OH/RS) |
| Montana | Sydney Pierce (junior - MB) | Brooklyn Pierce (freshman - MB) |
| Northern Iowa | Molly Shafer (sophomore - OH/OPP) | Kate Shafer (sophomore - S) |
| Niagara | Chloe Moreland (sophomore - OH) | Ashley Moreland (freshman - L/DS) |
| Rice | Arissa Smith (senior - MB) | Aaliyah Smith (sophomore - OH) |
| Virginia | Sarah Brodner (junior - OH/RS) | Ella Brodner (freshman - OH/RS) |
| RUTGERS RECORDS |
- In the 3-0 nonconference home finale victory over Rider back on Sept. 12, Zharia Harris-Waddy hit .833 (10-0-12) to set a new Rutgers record in hitting percentage. Ā She bested the previous Rutgers mark of .700 (14-0-20) in a 3-0 win over Cleveland St. on Sept. 10, 2016 by Lauren Cloyd. Harris-Waddy's mark is tied for the seventh-best hitting percentage with 10-14 attempts in a match this season in Division I , eighth among all DI players withĀ 10 or more attempts in match and the best in a match amongĀ the Big Ten to date.Ā Ā
| STAT NOTABLE WATCH |
Rally-Era Career
- Lily Bolen needs twoĀ more aces to move into fourth in rally-era career aces past Ronnie Komisarek (2012-15) and seven more to pass Inna Balyko (2018-21) for third . She currently has 93Ā career aces.
- Lily Bolen needs 108Ā more assists to climb to third in rally-era career assists past Anna Sudbury (2012-15). She currently has 1,609Ā career assists.
- Natalie Robinson needs fourĀ more solo blocks to move into fourth in rally-era career solo blocks, surpassing Mikaela Mattherws (2012-16). She currently has 32Ā career solo blocks.Ā
- Natalie Robinson needs threeĀ blocks to move into eighthĀ on the rally-era career total blocks list, past Zora Hardison (2023-25) and 18 to move into seventh past Alex Jones (2009-12).Ā She currently has 233Ā career total blocks.
- Natalie Robinson needs oneĀ more block assistĀ to move into the top 10 on the rally-era career block assists list, past Stasa Miljevic (2017-19), and 13 more to move into eighth past Alissa Kinkela (2021-24). She currently has 200Ā career block assists.
- Kenzie Dyrstad needs 60Ā more digs to enter the rally-era top 10. She currently has 653Ā career digs.
- Aspen Maxwell needs 196.5Ā points to enter the rally-era career points top ten. She currently has 561.0 points in her career.
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| RUTGERS ON THE RISE |
Take a look at the climb during the Caitlin Schweihofer Era of Rutgers volleyball.
- 2025 -
Rutgers surpassed its win total from the previous season nine games into the year, fueled by a seven-match win streak, the longest for the squad since 2012. The Scarlet Knights collected sweeps in six of the seven games. Against the Red Flash, RU swung .456, marking the best hitting percentage by the Scarlet Knights in a rally-era match. In nonconference action, RU played to a 9-3 mark with seven sweeps and a 4-0 home mark. In Big Ten action, the Scarlet Knights set not only a school record for attendance, but the 8,000 to witness the Scarlet Knights take on No. 1 Nebraska at Jersey Mike's Arena marked the largest crowd to watch a volleyball match in the state of New Jersey. RU also picked up its first-ever Big Ten win over Ohio State as the sweep marked the most by the program since 2000 and the first time in either Big East or Big Ten play that the Scarlet Knights have held an opponent to under 20 in a match. At the end of the 2025 season, Rutgers had captured the best hitting percentage and most aces of any team during the rally era and had Lexi Visintine set the rally-era season record in aces, becoming only the second Scarlet Knight of the rally era with over 100 career aces. In Big Ten action, the Scarlet Knights posted the most assists and aces in a season since joining the league, with Lily Bolen averaging the most assists per set in a Big Ten season. Additional season stat notables included Visinstine with the most aces since 1988, Aspen Maxwell with the most kills per set since 2009, Natalie Robinson with the best hitting percentage since 2011, Bolen with the most assists and assists per set since 2012, and Maxwell with the most kills since 2013.
- 2024 -
A youthful Scarlet Knight squad continued to rewrite the Rutgers record book, putting up several notable career and season numbers as the Big Ten expanded to the West Coast. On the attack, Alissa Kinkela, the squad's first-ever All-Big Ten attacker from 2023 and an Australian Olympic hopeful, cracked the top 10 all-time in career kills, the second most rally-era career kills and the third most rally-era career kills per set. Following the season, Kinkela signed to play professionally in South Korea. In addition to Kinkela's mark in the record book, Rutgers put nine entries into the rally-era individual season top 10 records, with a new benchmark set for blocks in a rally-era season from rookie Natalie Robinson. Ā At the same time, junior Lexi Visintine was just two aces shy of setting a new season standard in the category.
- 2023 -
More milestones continued for the Scarlet Knight program in 2023. The team was honored with its first-ever All-Big Ten attacker, captured the most wins and best nonconference record since 2012, improved its set win total by 45% over the previous season and set a school record in attendance. The Scarlet Knights collected the most kills and digs as a program since 2012, the highest serve percentage since 2016 and the most assists since 2018. Alissa Kinkela, who led the team in kills, was named Second Team All-Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights placed 12 entries into the rally-era individual season top 10 records, 13 entries into the rally-era team top 10 records, while collecting the most sets played, kills, assists, assists per set, digs and solo blocks by a team in conference play since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Senior libero Madyson Chitty finished her career fifth all-time in career digs and senior middle blocker Kristina Grkovic concluded her career fifth all-time in hitting percentage while setting the rally-era record for solo blocks in a season and career. Rutgers improved its attendance by 50% while setting a program record of 6,757 in attendance at Jersey Mike's Arena when facing No. 1 Nebraska on Nov. 5. Additionally, head coach Caitlin Schweihofer registered her 100th career victory.
- 2022 -
The fall of 2022 saw RU 3-0 for the first time since 1998, with four Scarlet Knights named to All-Tournament squads. By the season's end, Rutgers had 11 entries on the rally-era season leaders list, including tying the record for most kills in a rally-era three-set match and graduate student transfer Megan Vernon, who wrapped up her career ranked second in the rally era in solo blocks in only two seasons as a Scarlet Knight.
- 2021 -
The second season of the Caitlin Schweihofer era saw the Scarlet Knights move a majority of its home games to Jersey Mike's Arena (formerly known as The RAC), playing members of the nation's top conference in the 8,000-seat arena. Rutgers captured set wins over #8 Purdue and #15 Penn State and took Illinois to five sets in front of a national audience on BTN.Ā
- SPRING 2021 -
In Caitlin Schweihofer's first season "On The Banks", played in the spring due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights established themselves as a program on the rise with numerous program and Big Ten firsts. Among the Scarlet Knights' spring 2021 accomplishments were the first-ever All-Big Ten honoree, the first-ever home-opening Big Ten victory, the first-ever Big Ten series sweep, set victories over more than one Top 10 program, along with the team's first-ever wins over Indiana and Michigan State. RU established new team, season and match records for aces, reset program Big Ten game bests in kills, attempts, attack percentage and assists and collected individual conference superlatives in attack percentage, assists and digs.
| CELEBRATING 50 SEASONS |
The Scarlet Knights are celebrating 50 seasons of Rutgers volleyball in 2026 and will honor all letterwinners during homecoming weekend with a letterwinner open practice and football pregame tailgate on Saturday, Oct. 4 and a letterwinner pregame reception and in-match recognition prior to RU taking on Indiana in front of the BTN cameras on Sunday, Oct. 5.Ā Click here to RSVP.
| SCHEDULE UPDATE |
- Rutgers' match with nationally-ranked USC on Saturday, Nov. 7 has been moved to a 1 p.m. start.
| SEASON & SINGLE GAME TICKETS |
- Season and individual game tickets for 2026 areĀ on saleĀ for Rutgers women's volleyball at Jersey Mike's Arena.
- The Scarlet Knights will welcome 12 opponents to Jersey Mike's Arena this season, featuring nine home dates against Big Ten competition, including contests with Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, USC, Michigan and UCLA, who all advanced to last year's NCAA Tournament.
- There will be single admission during RU's home matches and neutral site matchups with Stony Brook, Delaware and Rider on Thursday, Sept. 10, Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12. One ticket gets fans into both games
- Rutgers' home finale with Maryland on Friday, Nov. 13 will be held at the College Avenue Gym and is free admission.
| UP NEXT |
- Rutgers volleyball travels to Ohio State on Thursday, Oct. 1 for a 7 p.m. match and then returns home to Jersey Mike's Arena host #18 Indiana on Sunday, Oct.Ā at 2 p.m in front of the BTN camera. The Scarlet Knights will celebrate 50 years of Rutgers volleyball during the match with the Hoosiers and sign autographs in the lobby following the match.Ā Click here to purchase tickets.Ā Ā
Follow Rutgers women's volleyball onĀ Facebook,Ā XĀ andĀ Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
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L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
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OH/RS
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH/DS
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/ Women's VolleyballSunday, September 13
Friday, September 11
Wednesday, September 09
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