Moon Township, Pa. – Four seniors on the
Robert Morris University volleyball team have etched their names in the Colonial record books this season, and look to continue their climb as the 2014 campaign draws down to its final stages.
Melissa Bograd,
Hannah Hoffman,
Becky Jay, and
Erica Robb are four of the seven fourth-year players that make up the largest senior class of
Dale Starr's tenure at Robert Morris. Those four also occupy top 10 slots in career statistical categories such as digs, assists, and blocks.
Bograd, a libero, has climbed from eighth to sixth in digs this season with 1,441. She sits 99 away from breaking into the top five and could possibly reach as high as third place, which is held by Darcy Thompson (2001-2004) with 1,583 digs.
Hoffman, a setter, started the season with the third most assists in program history and now is within striking distance of the second place mark set by Tawyna Storino (2004-07). The Parker, Colo. native has 3,436 assists for her career, 182 shy of topping Storino's total.
Jay, a middle blocker, has made her presence known in each of the block categories. At 353 block assists, she needs just six more to break Amanda Graham's (2008-11) record of 358. The Parma, Ohio native also became the fifth player in program history to reach 400 total blocks in an Oct. 11 victory at NJIT, and recently passed Janette Schneider (2003-06) for fourth place in that category. While she still has a bit of a climb to reach Kristie Tuxford's (1992-95) record of 460 total blocks, Jay could leap Graham and Hannah Vieth (2008-11) to move into second place before the season's done. One more solo block will tie the veteran middle blocker for ninth place all-time with Cyndi Dunslow (2002-05) at 63, while Melissa Dissette's (1997-99) eighth-place mark of 74 solo blocks could be caught with a strong finish.
Robb, an outside hitter, joins Bograd in the top 10 club for digs. She became the ninth player in program history to reach 1,000 digs on Oct. 4 at Central Connecticut State and currently sits in ninth with 1,090, ahead of Melissa Vesnel (1991-94).
Although it's almost certain a single-season program record won't fall this year, Bograd and Jay can break into the top 10 for digs and blocks, respectively.
Bograd has collected 366 digs this season, 77 away of topping Traci Zureick's mark of 442 from 2000. Within reach is Alaina Gibson's total of 455 from 2006, which currently occupies sixth place.
While Jay won't break her record for block assists set in 2012 with 134, she can break into the top 10 again in that category as well as total blocks. The middle blocker is eight shy of tying her mark from last season, which shares eighth place with Rachel Leitch from 2003 and Vieth from 2009. In total blocks, she sits 21 away from topping the 2006 duo of Schneider and Haley Schroder, who each collected 107.
Robert Morris is back on the road this weekend for matches at Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart. Opening serve between the Colonials and Knights is set for Saturday, Oct. 25 at 1:00 p.m. from Stratis Arena.
