Match Notes (PDF)

Robert Morris (0-3 / 0-0) vs. Xavier (2-1 / 0-0)

Friday, September 6, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. / Charles L. Sewall Center - Moon Township, Pa.

Robert Morris (0-3 / 0-0) vs. Central Michigan (1-2 / 0-0)
Saturday, September 7, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. / Charles L. Sewall Center - Moon Township, Pa.

Robert Morris (0-3 / 0-0) vs. Duquesne (1-2 / 0-0)
Saturday, September 7, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. / Charles L. Sewall Center - Moon Township, Pa.

The Colonial Chapter - In the first game of the Duquesne/ Robert Morris Invitational, the Colonials will take on the Xavier Musketeers for the fifth time in program history.  RMU has yet to claim a victory over Xavier, losing the four previous matches.  The last time these two schools faced off, the Musketeers claimed a striaght-set victory over Robert Morris in the 1996 Xavier Tournament.  Prior to meeting in this year's installment of the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational, the Colonials have only seen Central Michigan one other time.  That match occured in 2007 and was the first match of the season for RMU.  Taking part in the Central Michigan Invitational, the Colonials would be swept by the Chippewas. The final match of the invitational will see RMU and cross-town rival Duquesne square off for the 29th time.  Robert Morris has won just five of the previous matches, but none since the four-set victory over the Dukes in 2007.  Last year, the Colonials made the short trip into downtown Pittsburgh to face Duquesne but lost in straight sets.

Scouting Xavier - Xavier finished the 2012 season with a record of 21-11 and have kept things going in the start of the 2013 season.  Hosting the Xavier Invitational, the Musketeers won two of their three matches , beating Northern Kentucky and Clemson while losing to Michigan.  Prior to the start of the 2013 season, Xavier was picked to finish third in the Big East while seniors Sarah Brown and Alex Smith were selected to the All-Big East Preseason Team.   

Scouting Central Michigan - The Chippewas finished the 2012 season with a 16-14 record while making the Mid-American Conference (MAC) postseason tournament a year ago.  This season, behind seven returning letterwinners, Central Michigan has started its season 1-2 while partaking in the Oakland Invitational where they defeated Villanova in five sets.  In the annual MAC preseason coaches' poll, the Chippewas were selected to finish third in the West Division while receiving three first-place votes.  After just three matches, Central Michigan has two players averaging over ten kills a match.  Kaitlyn Macintyre leads the way with 37 kills while Angie White has recorded 36.  White also leads the Chippewas with ten total blocks - three solo blocks and seven block assists.

Scouting Duquesne - When all was said and done, the 2012 season ended with a 22-11 record for Duquesne.  Selected to finish second in the A-10 this season, the Dukes have started 1-2 after traveling to the IPFW Invitational.  The lone win this season for Duquesne came against Southern Illinois in the final game of the invitational.  Arielle Love leads the Dukes with 29 kills and paces the team with eight total blocks.

Looking Ahead - After completing the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational, the Colonials will remain at home for a single match on Tuesday against Akron.  After battling the Zips, Robert Morris will hit the road to partake in the Wright State Invitational starting on September 13th.

Networking with the Colonials - Become a fan of the Colonials on Facebook by searching for the "Robert Morris Volleyball" page.  Fans can also follow the Colonials on Twitter @RMUVolleyball to get updates on the team throughout the season.

Preseason Coaches' Poll - Robert Morris was chosen by the league's coaches to finish second in the Northeast Conferece this season.  Defending conference champion LIU Brooklyn was picked to win the conference title, earning six of the eight first-place votes.  2012 conference championship runner-up Central Connecticut was selected third while earning the two remaining first-place votes.  Sacred Heart was selected fourth while Bryant and Saint Francis U tied for the fifth spot in the poll.  Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Francis Brooklyn filled in the two remaining spots in seventh and eighth.

Rookie Debuts - Three freshmen on the squad this season made their debuts at the Indiana Invitational.  Arden Fisher led all Colonials at the invitational with 24 kills and 25 digs.  Fellow freshman April Krivoniak tallied 17 kills in the three matches while also recording nine total blocks en route to being named to the All-Invitational Team.  Leah Dunivan also made her collegiate debut with one kill and two block assists in three sets played.

Looking Back at 2012 - In 2012, Robert Morris posted a record of 17-17 and appeared in its 14th straight NEC tournament after going 13-3 in league play.  The Colonials earned the program's first win over a Big-12 team after defeating West Virginia in five sets.  After the season, Becky Jay and Lindsey Monger were named to All-NEC teams while Una Japundza was named the NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year while also earning the university's Presidential Transformational Award.

Climbing the Charts - Juniors Hannah Hoffman and Becky Jay have begun to write their names into the Robert Morris record books after just two seasons.  Hoffman sits at sixth on the career assists list with 2,144.  Jay has entered herself into the defensive section of the record books as her 202 block assists currently have here ranked seventh all-time in program history.

Holding Serve at Home - Robert Morris finished the 2012 season with a record of 10-2 at the Charles L. Sewall Center.  The Colonials last lost at home to LIU Brooklyn on October 6, 2012.  It was just the fifth time in program history that the Colonial won at least ten games in a season at home and the first time since 2008.

Killing Them Softly - During his first three years as a head coach, Dale Starr's teams have gone 32-2 when registering more kills then their opponents.  Last season, the Colonials were a perfect 10-0 when tallying more kills.  Robert Morris also went 15-0 in 2012 when recording a higher hitting percentage then their counterparts.

The Ohio Blocking School - All three of the middle blockers on the Robert Morris roster have attended high school in the state of Ohio. Becky Jay, returning to Robert Morris after leading the NEC in blocks, teams up with sophomore Kristin Thompson - 54 total blocks as a freshman - and Leah Dunivan (325 solo blocks in high school) to form a solid rotation in the middle.