Brooklyn, N.Y. ? The third-seeded Robert Morris University volleyball team edged No. 2 Central Conn. State, 3-1 (30-22, 30-23, 27-30, 30-26), in a tight nail-biter in the semifinals of the Northeast Conference Championship. The Colonials will move on to face three-time defending NEC champions Long Island in the conference title game and improved to 18-10 on the season.
The first game was closely contested from the outset, with Robert Morris building the match's first significant edge with a 15-10 lead. The Colonials quickly stretched that into a 22-12 advantage and held on for a 30-22 win. Robert Morris took control of the second game in its early stages, staking a 13-5 lead over the Blue Devils. The Colonials saw their lead increase to 20-10 before Central Connecticut State scored six of the next seven points, cutting its deficit to five. The Blue Devils got within two at 24-22, but after the teams exchanged points, Robert Morris took a 27-23 lead. After a timeout, the Colonials rattled off three straight points to take a 30-23 win.
The third stanza was a game of runs with the Blue Devils jumping out to a 7-1 lead only to see it slip away as Robert Morris tied the game, 9-9. The Colonials would eventually lead 16-13, but Central Connecticut State refused to back down. The game seesawed back and forth the rest of the way and Central forced a fourth game with a 30-27 win.
The fourth game was just as close, but Robert Morris held a slim lead most of the way. Central would come back to tie several times, but the Colonials put together a 7-0 run to go up 26-20. The Blue Devils would not recover as Robert Morris won, 30-26.
For the match, the Colonials hit .206, compared to Central's .152. Robert Morris outhit the Blue Devils by a 74-50 margin.
Freshman Jaye Hellmich (Costa Mesa, Calif. / Estancia) led the Colonials with a match-high 19 kills. Teammate Amanda Graham (Melbourne, Fla. / Eau Gallie) chipped in 17 kills and Emily Wolthuis (Byron Center, Mich. / South Christian) tallied 15. Wolthuis completed her second double-double on the day by also tallying 15 digs, while Alaina Gibson (Muncie, Ind. / Muncie Burris) picked up a match high 24 digs. Tawnya Storino (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Baldwin) tallied over 50 assists for the second time today by recording 54 assists. For the Blue Devils, freshman Lauren Snyder had a team-high 15 kills and sophomore Jamie Baumert added 14.
The championship match is slated for a 1:00 p.m. start on Sunday, Nov. 18.
Notes: The Colonials have advanced to the NEC Tournament Finals for the ninth time in as many years, but have not won the championship since the 2003 season when they defeated Central Conn. State. This will also mark the fourth time in the last five years that the Colonials have faced Long Island in the championship match, with their lone victory coming in 2002.
