Box Score Dayton, Ohio – The Robert Morris University volleyball team finished up play in the Wright State Invitational with a match that would go the distance against Murray State on Saturday afternoon.

Despite three Colonials recording double-doubles, Robert Morris (0-10) would fall in five sets against Murray State (7-3).  RMU would claim the first set 25-16 before Murray State pulled even with a second set victory, 25-15.  The Colonials regained control of the match with a 25-22 victory in the third set before allowing Murray State to capture the fourth and fifth sets, 25-16 and 15-12, respectively.

In the first set, Robert Morris would hold the lead through the entire set while only being tied with Murray State on just three occasions.  Two of those occasions came before either team had scored ten points, 1-1 and 6-6.  Murray State remained within striking distance of the Colonials, also pulling even with RMU when the score was 14-14.  Shortly after the Colonials fended off Murray State, they would go on a six-point run to put the set out of reach.  Robert Morris finished the set with two kills by Arden Fisher (Oakmont, Pa. / Riverview) to earn a 25-16 victory.

The second set would be controlled by Murray State as it jumped out to a 5-0 advantage from which the Colonials would never recover from.  Robert Morris would remain within striking distance of Murray State, especially after taking seven of a possible eight points to be just a point down, 9-8.  A quick burst of points from Murray State restored the multi-point deficit facing RMU for the remainder of the set.  Murray State closed out the second set taking seven of the final eight points to end the set with a score of 25-15.

Despite the slim margin of victory in the third set, Robert Morris held the lead through the duration of the set.  The Colonials came out and captured the first four points of the set and seven of the first eight points before Murray State stalled the RMU offense.  Things would get dicey towards the end of the set when the Colonials were holding a five-point lead, 24-19.  Murray State would take three consecutive points to put pressure on the Colonials who were now just up two points, 24-22.  Robert Morris would close out the set on the next point after a kill by Erica Robb (Novi, Mich. / Novi).

Needing to claim just one of the final two sets for its first victory of the season, Robert Morris would allow Murray State to force a fifth set after a 25-16 loss in the fourth set.  The Colonials would not sniff the lead in the set although they would hold a share of the lead twice.  Runs of five and six points for Murray State would create an eight-point deficit for RMU, 15-7.  The Colonials were unable to string together a run of points to close the gap between themselves and Murray State as the set ended with a score of 25-16.

In their second five-set match of the season, the Colonials and Murray State would share the lead eight different times.  Robert Morris would take the first two points of the match before Murray State rallied to tie the set, 3-3.  From there the two teams would exchange ten points as the set approached its midway point, 8-8.  Despite Murray State taking the next two points, Robert Morris would rally to tie the set again, 10-10.  Murray State would take three of the next four points to regain a two-point lead, 13-11.  RMU would claim the next point to make the score 13-12, but Murray State would claim the final two points to take the decisive set by a score of 15-12.

April Krivoniak (Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe) led the Colonials offense with 15 kills while also contributing 16 digs for her first career double-double.  Fisher recorded 14 kills while providing a match-high 27 digs for Robert Morris.  Robb was the third Colonial to record a double-double as she tallied 12 kills and 19 digs.  Melissa Bograd also contributed on the defensive side with 18 digs.  Robert Morris recorded nine blocks on the front line as Becky Jay (Parma, Ohio / Padua Franciscan) and Kristin Thompson (Monroe, Ohio / Bishop Fenwick) each contributed to four of those blocks.

The Colonials return to action next weekend when they travel to South Carolina to take part in the Carolina Classic.  In the first of three matches, Robert Morris will take on Presbyterian at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.