Box Score Hackensack, N.J. - The Robert Morris University volleyball team won its sixth-consecutive road match as it began the second half of its Northeast Conference (NEC) round-robin schedule with its second victory of the season over Fairleigh Dickinson, downing the Knights in just three sets Saturday afternoon at Stratis Arena.
With the win, the Colonials, which have won nine of their past 11 matches overall, extended their road winning streak to a half dozen matches, the longest such stretch for RMU since the 2002 season. Furthermore, Robert Morris has also now won nine consecutive NEC road matches, the longest active streak in the conference.
Robert Morris hit at a notable .310 mark as a team, its third-highest total of the season, and also posted nine blocks in just three sets, outblocking Fairleigh Dickinson, 9-2, for the match.
"I was pleased with the overall outcome," head coach Dale Starr said. "We had good balance offensively with solid contributions all the way across the board. We've been trying to distribute the ball a little better, and I think we were able to do that today--for Hannah Veith to have no kills in the third set and for us to still win that game by 10 is a good sign."
Junior Lindsey Monger (Rising Sun, Md. / Rising Sun) helped lead Robert Morris both offensively and defensively by tallying her eighth double-double in the past nine matches with a team-high 11 kills and 10 digs. Monger's 13th double-double of the season also allowed her to capture her 11th straight match with double-figure digs.
Senior captain Hannah Veith (Columbus, Ohio / Worthington) notched six kills on just 11 attempts to hit .455 and also added a match-best six blocks. Veith has now hit at least .400 in nine of her past 11 matches and has posted six or more rejections in six of the last 14 matches.
Freshman Hannah Hoffman (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa) organized the efficient Colonial attack and barely missed her second straight double-double. Hoffman tallied 27 assists and nine digs while registering three blocks and a trio of kills on seven attempts without a hitting error.
"There were definitely some things that we need to improve on from our play in the second set, but I think we matured a little bit with the way we managed to stay calm and work our way back into the game," Starr said. "To go on the road within the league and get a three-game sweep is big for our confidence moving forward."
Robert Morris broke open the first set early when it won six straight points to turn a slim 4-3 edge into a seven-point cushion. RMU refused to let the Knights get back into the game as it led by at least six points for the duration of the set. With the margin still at seven late in the set, 21-14, Robert Morris won four of the final five points to claim the lead in the match. The Colonial defense was a significant contributor to the first-set victory as it held the Knights to a -.097 hitting mark for the game.
The second set was nothing like the opener as it featured a determined Fairleigh Dickinson squad that took control early. After the teams split the first six rallies, the Knights went on a 9-1 run to open up a sizeable 12-4 lead. The two teams were then basically level for the middle portion of the game, allowing Fairleigh Dickinson to close in on evening the match. The Knights led 19-10 when Robert Morris suddenly sprang to life, thanks in large part to Veith. The Colonials reeled off five consecutive points as the middle blocker tallied two kills and two blocks during the stretch. The Knights were able to briefly stop the RMU charge and won three of the next four points to put the victory nearly within their grasp at 22-16. However, Robert Morris then exploded for seven straight points, with Monger recording two kills and a block during the run, to take a 23-22 lead. The Knights were finally able to stop the run, but they could only muster a single point before RMU won back-to-back exchanges to take the game, 25-23. RMU closed the set on a 15-4 run overall and hit .360 in the second set.
The Colonials used the momentum from their come-from-behind victory to slowly but surely edge away from the hosts in the final set. RMU won three straight points to take a 9-5 lead in the early going. With Robert Morris leading by five, 16-11, the visitors won seven consecutive points, six of which came on kills by four distinct Colonials, to blow the set wide open, allowing RMU to cruise to the victory in both the game and the match.
Freshman Becky Jay (Parma, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) notched four kills on just five attempts without an error and added three blocks for RMU while junior Amanda Craig (Houston, Texas / St. Agnes Academy) put down five kills on 11 attempts to hit .364 with two blocks.
Freshman Melissa Bograd (Lemont, Ill. / Lemont) tied Monger for the team-high honors in digs with an even 10.
Robert Morris will conclude its four-match roadtrip this Wednesday, Oct. 26, as it continues NEC play. The Colonials will face in-state rival Saint Francis (Pa.) at 7:00 p.m.
