Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo GalleryMoon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University volleyball team couldn't recapture the magic of its 2012 home match with West Virginia, as it fell to the Mountaineers in straight sets this evening from the Charles L. Sewall Center.
Robert Morris (0-4, 0-0 NEC) received a fourth consecutive double-double from sophomore outside hitter
Arden Fisher, but as a team only hit at a .117 clip for the match. West Virginia (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) topped the Colonials in almost every category, with service aces being the lone tie at three apiece.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first set and never looked back, eventually winning the frame, 25-15. Fisher led the way with four kills and seven digs, while setters
Brianna Frakes and
Hannah Hoffman combined for nine assists.
The second set featured four lead changes and 11 tied scores, but WVU ultimately took it by a score of 25-22. The two teams traded the first eight points before RMU nabbed its first lead of the frame thanks to a service ace from Hoffman. The senior setter followed that up with another ace, but the Mountaineers stopped the mini-run with a kill.
After an attack error from
April Krivoniak, WVU tallied the next three points to go up 12-9 in the set. After the Colonials and Mountaineers swapped points, RMU went back up with a run that featured two attack errors and a block from Fisher and sophomore
Leah Dunivan. WVU would regain the lead at 17-16 despite kills from Dunivan and senior
Erica Robb, and it extended that advantage to 20-17 before head coach
Dale Starr called timeout.
Fisher picked up a kill out of the break to bring the Colonials within two, but the Mountaineers bounced back with two quick points to go up four. RMU cut it to a two-point deficit twice more with another Fisher kill and a block from the sophomore outside hitter and senior
Becky Jay. However, a block on Krivoniak's attack at 24-22 would seal it for WVU.
RMU went up 4-3 early in the final set, but WVU responded with an 18-6 run to put it out of reach.
Hoffman dished out 16 assists in the defeat, while senior libero
Melissa Bograd collected seven digs.
Robert Morris is back in action on Friday morning as it opens up the annual Duquesne / Robert Morris Invitational with a match against Indiana State. That meeting is scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. start from the Charles L. Sewall Center. The Colonials will also take on Youngstown State at 7:00 p.m. that evening.
