Moon Township, Pa. - Oct. 2, 2009 - The Robert Morris University Colonials opened up Northeast Conference play against the Saint Francis (Pa.) Red Flash and topped the Red Flash in three sets to snap a 12 game losing streak. Robert Morris hit .312 to the Red Flash's .088 and tallied 42 kills to their 24. The win improves RMU's record to 4-13, while Saint Francis (Pa.) drops to 3-14.
Saint Francis (Pa.) started off set one with the first point after the Colonials committed a serving error. With the score knotted 2-2, Junior Mackenzie Tonn (Fishers, Ind. / Hamilton Southeastern) went back to the serving line and went on a seven point run to bring the score to 9-2. The Red Flash was finally able to side-out after a Colonial error. The Colonials easily got the serve back and cruised to a 25-15 finish.
Set two began in similar fashion to set one, with SFPA tallying the first point. The Colonials answered back with a kill by freshman Amanda Craig (Houston, Tex. / St. Agnes Academy). At 4-2 Tonn put on a serving clinic and went on an eight point run, tallying four service aces in the process. The Red Flash was able to get within three of the Colonials at 13-10 after a few RMU errors. However, sophomore Hannah Veith (Columbus, Ohio / Worthington) tallied back-to-back kills, which was followed by two straight kills from junior Charla Drabant (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton North) and a kill from Craig to set the score at 18-10. The Red Flash was never able to recover and RMU went on to win 25-19.
The Colonials recorded an impressive .500 hitting percentage in pursuit of their set three 25-16 victory and tallied 16 kills to Saint Francis's nine. The Red Flash registered the first three points of the set and tallied its largest lead at 6-1. After the two teams sided out a few times junior Amanda Graham (Melbourne, Fla. / Eau Gallie) went on a nine point run, with kills from sophomore Alyssa Bennett (Ramona, Calif. / Ramona), freshman Lindsey Monger (Rising Sun, Md. / Rising Sun) and Veith to bring the score to 13-7 in RMU's favor. The Colonials never relinquished the lead to solidify the match win.
Bennett led the Colonials with nine kills on a .500 hitting percentage and added 30 assists, six digs and three blocks. Tonn tallied a career-high five service aces and added 12 digs in the win. Graham led the Colonials with four blocks and captured eight put downs on a .500 hitting percentage.
The Colonials return to action to take on conference foe Quinnipiac tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.
