Alright, you ready for this? Skylar George and Imani Howell, two players who literally played every set of Friday’s big win against Delaware, were nowhere to be found in the starting lineup on Saturday night. And what happened? Rutgers went out and absolutely *swept* Rider 3-0, making it look easy! We’re talking 25-20, 25-18, 25-15 in just an hour and a half. This squad is showing some serious depth, folks, and it’s getting wild.
A Whole New Look, A Whole New Level
This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement. With a revamped rotation, including Zharia Harris-Waddy, Avery Jesewitz, and Jenna DeLaMater stepping up as starters, and Addison Wiemann and Kami Dyrstad getting sets, Rutgers put on their cleanest attacking night of the entire weekend. They hit a scorching .378 as a team and held the Broncs to a measly .165. Think about that: Friday’s four-set win over Delaware saw them hitting .193. Thursday’s sweep of Stony Brook came in at .301. Saturday? .378! With fewer familiar names on the floor, they played their best ball. That’s not just a good night, that’s a sign of a team with options.
Dominance From Start to Finish
The first set was the only one that even tried to be competitive, hitting 7-7 with six ties and two lead changes. Then Karis Willow came off the bench and served up four straight points, including back-to-back aces! That put Rutgers up 10-7, and they never looked back, taking it 25-20. Rider hit .200 in that set, while Rutgers was at .353. The second set? Zero lead changes. DeLaMater opened it up serving the first five points, highlighted by a Harris-Waddy solo block and her own ace, putting Rutgers up 5-0 before Rider even scored. Rider managed to tie it at 7-7 but then got buried, hitting a brutal .059. Brooke Baldwin, the setter, even closed out the 25-18 set with a kill herself!
Then came the third set. Rider actually snagged an early 6-3 lead, with Molly Rohde hitting back-to-back aces. You think that rattled this team? Nah. Kenzie Dyrstad went back to serve and Rutgers went on a five-point tear. An ace, three Harris-Waddy kills, a Willow kill, and suddenly it’s 9-6, Rutgers. They hit a ridiculous .520 in that final set, getting 15 kills on just 25 attempts! Avery Jesewitz aced for 18-12, Addison Wiemann got a kill on her first swing for 21-12, and then Kami Dyrstad, Kenzie’s younger sister, came in to serve at 22-13 and set Wiemann for the final point. Unbelievable!
What’s next for this squad? When you can win like this, sweeping a team with a rotation half-full of new faces, you’ve unlocked something special. This kind of depth and performance early in the season sets a seriously high bar. Can they maintain this standard? You bet we’re gonna be watching to see if this emerging lineup continues to light it up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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