Brooklyn, N.Y. – The
Robert Morris University volleyball team dropped its regular season finale this afternoon, falling in straight sets to LIU Brooklyn from the Steinberg Wellness Center.
Robert Morris (14-16, 12-2 NEC) was swept for the first time this season since Sept. 19 against UC-Irvine. LIU Brooklyn (23-6, 14-0 NEC) clinched its fourth consecutive Northeast Conference (NEC) regular-season title with the victory.
The Colonials were led by junior middle blocker
Kristin Thompson, who tallied a team-high seven kills on a .467 hitting percentage. She paced RMU defensively as well, collecting four block assists on the afternoon.
Senior setter
Hannah Hoffman fell a dig shy of her 19th career double-double as she set up 12 of the Colonials' kills. Her fellow setter
Brianna Frakes dished out 11 assists in the loss.
Hoffman's classmates
Becky Jay and
Melissa Bograd continued to inch closer towards moving up in the school record books. Jay's two blocks (1 solo, 1 assist) positions her seven shy of breaking Kristie Tuxford's (1991-94) program standard for total blocks, while Bograd's 11 digs put her 28 behind Darcy Thompson (2001-04) for third all-time.
RMU dropped the first two sets by identical 25-11 scores.
The Colonials fell behind by seven in the third frame but didn't waver, cutting the deficit to four a few different times before ultimately falling, 25-19.
Sydney Sizemore converted on four of her 11 swings in the stanza, while Thompson found the floor three times in five attempts.
With the loss, RMU will be the second seed in the NEC Tournament starting Saturday, Nov. 22. LIU Brooklyn will host the tournament after winning the regular-season crown and will take on fourth-seeded Central Connecticut State, who claimed the final postseason spot over Bryant.
Robert Morris' semifinal opponent in the NEC Tournament will be third-seeded Saint Francis U. – a team the Colonials defeated in five sets on Oct. 10 and swept on Nov. 8. The winner of that meeting and the match between the Blackbirds and Blue Devils will play for the NEC Championship on Sunday, Nov. 23 at the Steinberg Wellness Center.
