Match #1 – Saturday, October 4 – 1:00 PM
Robert Morris at Central Connecticut State (5-8, 1-0 NEC)
Detrick Gymnasium – New Britain, Conn. Against the Blue Devils – Robert Morris holds a 17-10 edge over Central Connecticut State in its history, but has dropped the last three matches to the Blue Devils. The Colonials were swept by CCSU last season and fell to the Blue Devils in the 2012 NEC Semifinals. RMU's last win over CCSU came in four sets on Oct. 27, 2012 as
Becky Jay tallied 10 blocks (4 solo, 6 assist) while Lindsay Monger posted a double-double with 23 kills and 15 digs.
Scouting Central Connecticut State – The Blue Devils were picked second in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll after advancing to the NEC Championship last season. CCSU enters this meeting with a record of 5-8, having collected all five of its wins in the last seven matches. Offensively, the Blue Devils are led by junior outside hitter Heather Trueman, who has compiled 176 kills on the season. Senior middle hitter Rachel Dunlap - a three-time NEC Defensive Player of the Week award winner - is the catalyst for CCSU defensively as she has tallied 62 blocks (9 solo, 53 assist) in 52 sets.
Match #2 – Sunday, October 5 – 1:00 PM
Robert Morris at Bryant (4-16, 0-1 NEC)
Chace Athletic Center – Smithfield, R.I. Against the Bulldogs – The Colonials have won eight of 11 meetings against Bryant and hold a four-match winning streak over the Bulldogs. RMU has won its last three games against Bryant in straight sets, including two matches last season in which the Bulldogs topped 20 points just twice.
Scouting Bryant – The Bulldogs, who were slotted fifth in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll, enter this weekend with an overall record of 4-16 and 0-1 in conference. Two of Bryant's four wins have come at home against UMass Lowell this past Tuesday and in its season opener on Aug. 29. Senior outside hitter Elena Lohr paces the Bulldogs offensively with 224 kills, receiving the majority of those kills from freshman setter Vika Nesterov, who has dished out 586 assists. Defensively, middle blockers Sara DePouw and Alexandra Lunsford have combined for 105 blocks (9 solo, 96 assist), with 55 and 50 respectively.
Looking Ahead – Robert Morris continues its road trip next weekend with a conference match against Saint Francis U. and a non-conference tilt with NJIT. The Colonials swept the Red Flash last season in a total of seven sets and have won their last 10 matches against SFU. Meanwhile, RMU has only played the Highlanders once in its history, defeating them in three sets on Sept. 29, 2006.
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.
Know Your Enemy –
Becky Jay has dominated Central Connecticut State defensively in her career, compiling 43 blocks (6 solo, 37 assist) in seven matches. 10 of those blocks (4 solo, 6 assist) came in a meeting on Oct. 27, 2012, which was the last time a Colonial had tallied double-digit blocks in one game.
Sydney Sizemore has a rich history against the Blue Devils as well. In her first two seasons, she collected 47 kills on a .234 hitting percentage. She also contributed defensively with 11 blocks (1 solo, 10 assist).
Hannah Hoffman has enjoyed playing Bryant in her career. Over six matches, she's dished out 239 assists and collected 18 kills and 11 blocks (2 solo, 9 assist). As a freshman, Hoffman compiled 108 assists, 18 digs, nine kills, and four blocks in two meetings against the Bulldogs.
Bryant hasn't had an answer for
Melissa Bograd's serve, either. In her career, Bograd has collected 10 service aces against the Bulldogs.
Another Gear – Robert Morris has gotten off to good starts in NEC play, compiling a record of 12-1 over the past seven opening weekends. The lone Colonial loss in this timeframe came at Sacred Heart last season, but prior to that RMU had won 10 straight matches in the first weekend of NEC play. Some of the notable victories include wins at LIU Brooklyn in 2010 and 2011, Bryant in 2012, and last weekend's sweep over Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart.
Breaking Out the Brooms – The Colonials swept Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart this past weekend, winning each set. The last time RMU had done that in a weekend was on Sept. 29-30, 2012 when it knocked off Central Connecticut State and Quinnipiac in straight sets.
