Box Score Morgantown, W.Va. - Playing with four freshmen in its starting lineup, the Robert Morris University volleyball team opened its 2011 season with a setback to Valparaiso, 25-12, 25-23, 25-9, in West Virginia's Mountaineer Invitational Saturday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum.
While RMU was contesting its opening match of the season, the Crusaders had already played two matches Friday, including collecting a come-from-behind victory over host West Virginia. In the first-ever meeting between the schools, Robert Morris was unable to put down enough kills against a Crusader squad that ranked fourth nationally in digs per set in 2010.
Junior Amanda Craig (Houston, Texas / St. Agnes Academy) led RMU with a team-high .455 hitting percentage on the strength of five kills on 11 attempts without an error and also added three digs and two blocks. Senior captain Hannah Veith (Columbus, Ohio / Worthington), fresh off being named a semifinalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, drilled a match-high nine kills, hitting .389, and added three blocks. Veith's nine kills represented her highest tally among her four season debuts at RMU.
The Colonials continued a positive season-long trend from 2010 by totaling more blocks than their opponent as RMU held a 7-5 edge in the blocking department over Valparaiso. Robert Morris has only been outblocked in two of the 36 matches since head coach Dale Starr has taken the reins of the program.
Valparaiso jumped out of the gates quickly, taking the first four points of the match, despite not registering a kill. Robert Morris responded as the Colonials were able to play quite evenly with the Crusaders over the ensuing 22 points before Valparaiso used a 9-2 run to close the opening set.
RMU fought back with determination in the second stanza as the teams battled one another in a highly-competitive set that featured 14 ties with neither side leading by more than three points. Trailing 9-7, the Colonials went on a 6-1 run to take a three-point advantage, prompting a Crusader timeout. Robert Morris still led by two points, 22-20, late in the set, but Valparaiso charged ahead, taking five of the final six points, to open up a two-set lead. RMU actually outhit the Crusaders in the second set as it held Valparaiso to a mere .111 hitting percentage.
After coming close to evening the match, Robert Morris was unable to keep up its play in the third set as Valparaiso used an early 8-0 run to push a 4-3 edge into a nine-point advantage that it would not relinquish.
In spite of the defeat, four Colonial freshmen saw the court in all three games and each contributed to the RMU effort. Outside hitter Erica Robb (Novi, Mich. / Novi) drilled eight kills, collected eight digs and notched two blocks while setter Hannah Hoffman (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa) tallied 30 assists, six digs and a pair of rejections. Middle blocker Becky Jay (Parma, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) posted a match-high four blocks while libero Melissa Bograd (Lemont, Ill. / Lemont) registered seven digs.
Junior Lindsey Monger (Rising Sun, Md. / Rising Sun) equaled Robb's totals by recording eight kills and tying for the team high with eight digs. The defeat snapped RMU's streak of victories in three consecutive season openers.
Robert Morris will look to claim its first victory of 2011 Sunday on its second and final day at the Mountaineer Invitational. The Colonials will meet Towson at 4:00 p.m. before turning right around to play Big East member West Virginia at 7:00 p.m. in the tournament's final match.
