Box Score Moon Township, Pa. – After dropping the first match of the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational last night, the Robert Morris University volleyball squad returned to action Saturday morning with a match against Central Michigan.

After dropping the first set of the match, Robert Morris (0-5) rallied to claim victories in the second and third sets behind the attacking duo of Sydney Sizemore (Taylor Mill, Ky. / Holy Cross) and Becky Jay (Parma, Ohio / Padua Franciscan).  Robert Morris was unable to close out the match as Central Michigan (2-3) claimed victories in the fourth and deciding fifth set; 20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 16-25, 9-15.

The opening set of the match would be controlled by Central Michigan who held the lead from the first point to the last.  Allowing the Chippewas to build an early lead, RMU would only get within two points of the lead during the set.  With the score 21-19 late in the set, Central Michigan took four of the final five points to claim the first set, 25-20.

The second set saw the two teams deadlocked nine different times before the Colonials claimed the set to tie the match.  After pulling even with the Chippewas seven times, Robert Morris claimed the lead with the score 13-12.  RMU would fend off the Central Michigan attack while holding on to the lead for the remainder of the set.  Robert Morris would claim the second set 25-23 as a kill by Jay evened the match, 1-1.

Coming out for the third set, the two teams would battle each other and exchange the lead four times before RMU took the set.  The Colonials would hold the early advantage before Central Michigan took its first lead of the set with the score 12-11.  Just a few points later, RMU would regain the advantage after a kill by Hannah Hoffman (Parker, Colo. / Ponderosa) made the score 16-15.  As quickly as the Colonials gained the lead, the Chippewas would take it right back with four consecutive points to take a three-point lead, 19-16.  A three-point run by Robert Morris would again tie the score, but RMU would again fall behind Central Michigan.  Down a point, 23-22, the Colonials claimed three-consecutive points to take the match after freshmen Leah Dunivan (Troy, Ohio / Miami East) and Arden Fisher (Oakmont, Pa. / Riverview) combined for a block to tie the score.  A kill by Jay would give the Colonials the advantage before an attacking error by the Chippewas awarded the Colonials their 25th point of the set to make the score 25-23.

A very early lead by Robert Morris would quickly evaporate as Central Michigan cruised to a 25-16 set victory to force a fifth set.  A six-point run for the Chippewas early in the set would open up a five-point advantage that the Colonials were unable to recover from.  RMU would come within a single point when the score was 10-9 but Central Michigan slowly pulled away for the 25-16 set win.

Central Michigan would take the fifth set wire to wire, not allowing the Colonials a share of the lead at any point.  Robert Morris would allow two quick points the Chippewas before earning their first point of the set.  The deficit facing RMU would grow to five points before Robert Morris would pull to within a point with the score 8-7.  Central Michigan would take seven of the final eight points to close out the match with a 15-9 victory in the fifth set.

Three Colonials – Fisher, Jay, and Sizemore – each recorded double-digit kills as Sizemore led the way with thirteen kills.  Melissa Bograd (Lemont, Ill. / Lemont) led the Colonials with fifteen kills.  Dunivan recorded three solo blocks and five block assists as the leading blocker for Robert Morris.

The Colonials will close out the Invitational with a 7:00 p.m. match tonight against cross-town rival Duquesne.