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Box Score 1 (PDF) |
Box Score 2 (PDF)Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University volleyball lost both matches it played today on the opening day of its annual invitational.
The Colonials (0-6, 0-0 NEC) took the first set from both Indiana State (5-1, 0-0 MVC) and Youngstown State (5-0, 0-0 Horizon), but dropped the succeeding three sets in each match.
RMU opened up the invitational this morning with a match against the Sycamores. The Colonials took the first set, 25-22, despite trailing for most of the frame.
RMU climbed out of an early 4-1 hole thanks to two ISU attack errors and a kill from sophomore
April Krivoniak. Krivoniak would nab the next two Colonial kills, before seniors
Erica Robb and
Becky Jay joined in on the fun to knot things up at 10.
The Sycamores would respond with a 5-2 run, forcing head coach
Dale Starr to burn a timeout. Sophomore outside hitter
Arden Fisher put a stop to that with her first kill of the match, and that sparked RMU as a kill from Krivoniak and blocks from Jay and Robb eventually tied the set at 17.
After an ISU timeout, the Sycamores took three of the next four points to go back up 20-18. However, that lead would be short-lived as kills from Robb and Jay, along with an attack error, gave the Colonials their first lead of the frame. From that point RMU wouldn't fall behind again, as two straight kills from sophomore
Leah Dunivan sealed the first set for the hosts.
It was the Colonials who jumped out to an early lead in the second set, as two kills and a block from Dunivan, plus a Jay kill, gave RMU a 4-1 advantage. Freshman setter
Brianna Frakes added a kill and a service ace following two ISU points, but the visitors scored six of the next seven points to regain the lead.
That advantage would be extended to 14-9 before the Colonials responded with a kill and block from Jay, a kill from Fisher, and an ace from Robb. The Sycamores nabbed the next point to go back up by two, but a Frakes kill plus a block from Dunivan and Fisher knotted the set up at 15.
Starr called his second timeout of the frame after ISU picked up four consecutive points to make it 19-15. The sophomore duo of Fisher and Dunivan brought RMU back within one, but the Sycamores picked up a kill to take a 20-18 lead.
The Colonials went back in front at 22-21 after a kill from Krivoniak, then the two teams traded the next six points to make it 25-24. However, ISU picked up the next three points to knot the match up at one set apiece.
RMU began the third set on fire, as it took the first nine points and 11 of the first 12. Dunivan tallied two kills, a solo block, and a block assist to begin the frame.
ISU battled back with five straight points to make it 11-6, but the Colonials responded with a five point run of their own to go up 16-6. RMU eventually made it 21-10 before the Sycamores made a furious comeback, taking 15 of the next 18 points to jump in front, 25-24. The Colonials rebounded and forced set point twice at 26-25 and 27-26, but ISU again picked up three straight points to win the frame.
In the fourth set, the Sycamores went up 7-2 and never let their lead dip below three points as they won it 25-20. Sophomore
Madelyn Betts saw extended action in the frame and made the most of her opportunity, tallying five kills.
Krivoniak and Jay each had double-digit kills with 12 and 10, respectively. The sophomore picked up the fifth double-double of her career by adding 15 digs.
Senior libero
Melissa Bograd led RMU with 27 digs, while Frakes dished out 26 assists. Dunivan paced the Colonials with a solo block and five block assists.
The nightcap featured a familiar foe for RMU, as it met Youngstown State for the fourth consecutive season.
In the opening frame, the Colonials jumped out to leads of 2-1, 4-2, 7-5, and 8-6 before the Penguins finally tied it at nine. Fresh off her impressive performance in the final set of the Indiana State match, Betts notched two of RMU's four kills during that period.
The Colonials nabbed the next point thanks to a service error and didn't let the lead slip from them again. YSU cut it to one at 14-13, but kills from Frakes, Krivoniak, and Betts put an end to the threat. The two Michigan natives finished the Penguins off with the score at 23-19, as both tallied kills to give RMU the first set.
YSU took an early 4-1 advantage and eventually extended its lead to seven points before the Colonials came clawing back. RMU cut its deficit to one point at 21-20 thanks to two straight kills from Robb, but the Penguins responded with two straight points. The two teams traded points from there, as YSU finished it off at 25-22 to tie the match at one.
The Penguins finished the match by taking the following two sets, 25-11 and 25-13. Junior middle blocker
Kristin Thompson registered two kills in the final frame.
Bograd picked up a team-high 21 digs against YSU, while Betts led the Colonials in kills with nine. Krivoniak and Dunivan combined for seven block assists.
Robert Morris takes on UMass Lowell tomorrow afternoon to finish off its portion of the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational. The match between the Colonials and Riverhawks is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start from the Charles L. Sewall Center.
