Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Robert Morris University volleyball team took a break from Northeast Conference action as they traveled to downtown Pittsburgh for a match with the Duquesne Dukes on Tuesday evening.  The Colonials would end up falling in straight sets to the Dukes by the scores of 15-25, 14-25, and 20-25.

Duquesne would score the first five points of the opening set to put RMU in a hole that the team would never get out of.  The closest the Colonials would come to Duquesne would be four points as the Dukes would take the first set 15-25.  The Colonials would start the second set splitting the first four points with the Dukes.  With the score tied 2-2, Duquesne would go on a 8-1 run that forced the Colonials to call a time-out to halt the momentum.  

The run put the set out of reach for RMU as they would come within four points of the opponent before dropping the second set 14-25.  In the third set, the Colonials stepped up and put up a tough fight for the Dukes. The two teams would share the lead seven times as the lead exchanged hands twice. The two squads would share the first ten points before the Colonials would take their first lead of the match as they marched out to a three-point advantage with the score 8-5.

RMU would hold that advantage until the Duke would rally to tie the set at 13 because of a four-point run that allowed them to take a 13-14 lead.  From there Duquesne would slowly pull away for the five-point set victory with the score 20-25.

Senior Lindsey Monger (Rising Sun, Md. / Rising Sun) supplied the offense for the Colonials as she contributed 15 of the team's 36 kills while hitting .257 in the match.  Sophomore Hannah Hoffman (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa) assisted on 30 of those 36 kills for Robert Morris.

RMU will return to NEC play this weekend as they host a pair of key conference games at the Charles L. Sewall Center.  On Saturday, the Colonials will host Central Connecticut State for a 1:00 p.m. contest.  Robert Morris will then host Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon also at 1:00 p.m.