Rutgers’ Lily Bolen Reaches Major Milestone as Scarlet Knights Push Minnesota

Lily Bolen reaches 1,000 assists on the season for Rutgers Volleyball.

Lily Bolen became only the fourth Scarlet Knight of the rally era to collect 1,000 assists in a single season for Rutgers Volleyball. | Rutgers Athletics

Rutgers Volleyball saw one of its brightest young stars make program history. She did, as sophomore setter Lily Bolen reached a massive personal milestone in front of the home crowd. They faced their seventh nationally ranked opponent of the season in No. 19 Minnesota.

And the Scarlet Knights delivered a gritty performance. Inside Jersey Mike’s Arena, Bolen delivered her long-awaited moment. She needed just one assist to reach 1,000 for the season. She finished the afternoon with 27 helpers and a team-leading nine digs while coming just shy of a double-double.

Lily Bolen’s Milestone Moment

The achievement places the 5’7” setter among Rutgers Volleyball’s elite. Bolen became only the fourth Scarlet Knight of the rally era to collect 1,000 assists in a single season, and her current total of 1,007 this year ranks her fourth on the rally-era season leaders list. Her career numbers continued as she reached 1,290 career assists to place her fourth on the rally-era career leaders list.

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤 🤝
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Congrats to Lily Bolen for reaching the 1,000th season assist mark 👏
.#GoRU ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/rAI623Lzf6

— Rutgers Volleyball (@RUvball) November 24, 2025

A native of Lebanon, Ohio, Bolen has rapidly become the engine of the Rutgers offense. Against Minnesota, she once again showed her ability to contribute on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, she helped Rutgers stay competitive against a top-20 opponent.

She tied her career high with 51 assists twice in back-to-back five-set battles against Liberty on August 30 and Buffalo on August 31. She also opened the season with a 43-assist, 10-dig double-double in Rutgers’ 3-1 win over Marist on August 29.

Bolen ranks ninth in Rally-Era Season Aces with 31 in 2024, sixth in Freshman Aces with 31, and earned a spot on the UNT Invite All-Tournament Team in 2024.

A Freshman Year That Set the Foundation

Bolen’s impact began immediately when she arrived at Rutgers in 2024. She appeared in 30 matches and 91 sets with 12 starts, totalling 283 assists and averaging 3.11 per set. Her 31 aces ranked sixth among Rutgers freshmen.

She led the Scarlet Knights in assists in 10 matches and reached double digits in assists 13 times. Her debut season featured two double-doubles, including 13 assists and 11 digs against LIU and another against Michigan State on November 8. That's where she also tallied a season-high 16 digs.

Her match-by-match freshman highlights included 33 assists and four aces against Little Rock. Then, there are 18 assists with three aces and seven digs versus LA Tech, three aces against UMES, and 26 assists in a Big Ten road win at Northwestern. And a near double-double with nine assists and eight digs against No. 4 Penn State.

Bolen was a dominant setter at Lebanon High School. There, she broke the program’s records for career assists with 2,418 and single-season aces with 85. She was twice selected for the First Team All-Conference and First Team All-District, served as team captain, earned the Leadership Award, and competed in the 2023 District 16 All-Star Match.

She closed her high school career with 2,418 assists, 773 digs, 78 blocks, and a .884 setting efficiency. She also competed for Elevation Volleyball Club and excelled academically through the National Honor Society, Honor Roll, and student council.

She is the daughter of Mark and Kathy and has two brothers, Drew and Sam. Her major is currently undecided.

The Scarlet Knights host Oregon on Wednesday, November 26, at 4 p.m. at Jersey Mike’s Arena and close out the season Friday, November 28, at 1 p.m. against Washington at the College Avenue Gym for Senior Day.