Brooklyn, N.Y. – A sluggish start in the first set was quickly negated by a crucial third set win and a 13-0 run in the fourth frame, as the Robert Morris University women's volleyball team improved to 3-0 in Northeast Conference action with a 3-1 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn in New York Sunday afternoon.
 
Junior Arden Fisher tabbed her fourth double-double in five matches with 13 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Taylor Lord recorded her second double-double in her last three outings, as she posted 11 kills and 11 digs. Senior Kristin Thompson registered double-digit kills with 10 and hit at a team-leading .364 clip. Sophomore setter Brianna Frakes did another excellent job of evenly distributing the offense with 40 assists and no errors.
 
The Colonials (8-9, 3-0 NEC) played with a sense of urgency in set four after feeling the pressure from the Terriers (2-16, 0-3 NEC) in the first three frames. A Thompson kill sparked a 13-0 surge for RMU, which slowed the Terriers and put the Colonials in control to secure the 3-1 win.
 
RMU struggled in the opening set and managed to record just seven kills at a .000 clip in the first frame, but the Colonials regrouped quickly and challenged the Terriers the rest of the way. Both sets two and three were neck and neck, but three-straight points put Robert Morris ahead, 22-20, in a critical third frame. St. Francis remained calm and earned the next two points to tie it up at 22, but a kill from Lord and two consecutive errors from the Terriers' outsides ended the set in favor of the visitors and put RMU on top, 2-1. The Colonials' attack clicked in set three and the RMU offense posted a .400 hitting percentage on the frame.
 
Robert Morris takes on its final non-conference opponent of the season as the Colonials venture to West Virginia on Wednesday, Oct. 7 for a 6 p.m. mid-week match before making their long awaited return to the Charles L. Sewall Center for an action-packed NEC weekend when Sacred Heart and Fairleigh Dickinson come to town.
 
 
Head Coach Dale Starr
On setbacks in the first set…
Well, we were coming off of a very emotional win, we started out slowly and sluggish and mentally didn't do a great job of preparing ourselves.  But to the players' credit we came back. When you have only seven kills and seven unforced errors in the first set, it's tough to come back. St. Francis played harder than we did through most of the match. Hats off to them for showing up and being ready to play.
 
On remaining calm and focused after falling behind early…
We're maturing and we understand that one set doesn't win a match. We have to continue to execute. I've never questioned this team's guts and resiliency. They come to play.  We've got a whole lot of competitors. It's hard to win on the road in this conference, so to chalk up two road wins against these teams says a lot about this group of kids.
 
On preparing for a big conference weekend at home…
It's hard to practice game situations. You can't practice intensity or environment. In that respect we'll use [the game at West Virginia] to get better and work on our competitive edge. The Sacred Heart match is going to be big. It's two undefeated teams going after control of the conference. If we block well we should be in the match and be right there with them. They like to take a lot of swings and put the ball away. They're a very aggressive team and we need to prepare for that and maintain and control the flow of the game. We need to play our game, move the ball around, play great defense, and if we do that, I think we'll be fine. I don't anticipate anything less than a good, solid, high-level division I volleyball match.
 
 
Comeback Kids
For the second time all season and the first time in conference action this year, the Colonials rallied back to win after dropping the first set. The last time Robert Morris earned a come-from-behind victory was on Aug. 29 against UMBC.
 
Double Time
For the third time in the last four matches, multiple Colonials posted a double-double. Arden Fisher and Taylor Lord teamed up again to record double-doubles in today's win as they did against Youngstown State. Fisher and April Krivoniak posted double-doubles in the NEC-opener at St. Francis last weekend.
 
And Then There Were Two
Robert Morris and Sacred Heart are the only two remaining undefeated teams in Northeast Conference action. The Colonials take on the Pioneers this Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m. in RMU's first conference match at home this season.
 
 
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