Box Score Dayton, Ohio – After four consecutive home games, the Robert Morris University volleyball team returned to the road for a Friday evening contest to kick off the Wright State Invitational.

Taking on the host school Wright State (4-7), Robert Morris (0-8) would fall in four tightly-contested sets; 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 26-28.  Despite hitting above .200 as a team for the first time this season, the Colonials could not capitalize on 16 kills by freshman Arden Fisher (Oakmont, Pa. / Riverview).  Three Colonials each contributed at least five total blocks to a season-high 14.5 blocks as a team as junior Becky Jay (Parma, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) recorded a match-high eight total blocks.

Despite dropping the first set by just two points, the Colonials would not hold the lead at any point during the set.  In fact, RMU would not even tie the score with Wright State but would come within a single point of the Raiders on multiple occasions.  Robert Morris would get off to a slow start, allowing Wright State to take the first three points before getting on the board.  Wright State would pull away early with a five-point run that created a seven-point deficit for RMU, 9-2.  The Colonials would chip away at the deficit facing them and pull within a single point of the Raiders with the score 21-20 after a service ace by junior Hannah Hoffman (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa).  Each time that RMU was close to tying Wright State, the Raiders had a response to maintain control of the lead.  Wright State closed out the set, 25-23, after a kill gave the Raiders a 1-0 lead in the match.

After jumping out to an early lead in the second set, the Colonials would control play for the majority of the set before letting it slip away.  After taking the first two points on attacking errors by Wright State, Robert Morris saw itself tied with the Raiders twice before either team recorded ten points.  RMU was the first to reach the ten-point mark after a block by Hoffman and freshman Leah Dunivan (Troy, Ohio / Miami East) made the score 10-7.  The Colonials would stretch their advantage out to four points when the score was 17-13, but a game-changing run was on its way for Wright State.  Holding just a two-point lead, 20-18, three Colonial errors would aid a six-point run for the Raiders which would put them on top, 24-20, while looking to close out the set.  A kill by Dunivan would prolong any life that the Colonials had to pull even in the set, but the next point was claimed by Wright State to finish the set, 25-21.

A crucial third set would consist of 11 ties and four lead changes before Robert Morris would prevail, 25-20.  The two squads would exchange the first twelve points before the Colonials stung together three-consecutive points for a 9-6 advantage.  A three-point run from Wright State would bring the two team back to being tied, 10-10, but RMU would not relinquish the lead.  The Raiders would hold the lead for a single point, 16-15, but as quickly as the Colonials gave up the lead they regained it.  After taking control of the set back with the score 17-16, Robert Morris closed out the set by taking eight of the final 12 points to force a fourth set, 25-20.

Having to follow the excitement of the third set, the fourth set was a thriller with seven lead changes.  The two teams would exchange the lead three times before Wright State held the advantage at 6-5.  A four-point run would allow the Colonials to remain within striking distance of Wright State before regaining the lead, 16-15.  As quickly as the Colonials were able to take the lead from Wright State, the lead was returned to the Raiders following three errors by RMU.  A second four-point run by the Colonials in the set would allow them to regain the lead, 24-22.  Having two chances to force a fifth set, the Colonials would falter and the set would go past the normal 25 points.  After surrendering the lead, the Colonials would stave off two match-points before finally falling in the fourth set, 28-26.

To go along with Fisher's 16 kills, fellow freshman April Krivoniak (Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) contributed ten kills.  Junior Melissa Bograd (Lemont, Ill. / Lemont) contributed a team-high 20 digs while fellow juniors Hoffman and Erica Robb (Novi, Mich. / Novi) also contributed double-digit digs.  Teaming up with Jay, Krivoniak also contributed seven block assists while Dunivan contributed six block assists.

The 0-8 start for Robert Morris is the longest winless drought to start the season without a victory since 1994.  The Colonials started the 1994 season with 11 consecutive losses before earning their first win in a season that saw Robert Morris finish with a record of 11-31. 

The two teams that the Colonials wills face, Indiana State and Murray State, also played a four-set match in the first game of the tournament late Friday afternoon.  Murray State defeated Indiana State in four sets.

Robert Morris returns action tomorrow with a pair of matches to wrap up play in the Wright State Invitational.  First, the Colonials will take on Indiana State at 10:00 a.m. before finishing up with Murray State at 3:30 p.m.