Moon Township, Pa. – The
Robert Morris University volleyball team wraps up the preseason tournament portion of the 2016 schedule this weekend at the Panther Challenge, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, on Friday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17 in the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse.
RMU (6-5) heads to the tournament coming off a 3-1 loss to Youngstown State.
Robert Morris, the defending league champion, returns to the Sewall Center to open 2016 Northeast Conference competition on Saturday, Sept. 24 against Central Connecticut and Sunday, Sept. 25 versus Bryant.
Tournament Central Page
Robert Morris versus the Panther Challenge Opponents
LEHIGH | 3-7, 0-0 (Patriot League)
Robert Morris is 2-4 all-time against Lehigh.
WESTERN KENTUCKY | 9-2, 0-0 (Conference USA)
Saturday's match marks the first meeting between the Colonials and the Hilltoppers
PITT | 7-2, 0-0 (ACC)
RMU is 1-25 overall versus Pitt. The Colonials' lone victory over the Panthers occurred in 2011, head coach
Dale Starr's second season with the program.
Making History
With 24 digs against the Youngstown State Penguins, senior outside hitter
Arden Fisher became the first in Robert Morris history to eclipse both 1,000-plus career kills (1,031) and 1,500-plus career digs (1,504).
National Radar
Senior
Arden Fisher has been making waves through the first three weeks of NCAA Division I action. She currently ranks No. 2 in the nation in digs per set (5.95) after spending the first two weeks at number one, and was named Molten/NEC Player of the Week for week two after earning Defensive Player of the Week honors in the first week of action. As a team, Robert Morris ranks third in the nation in digs per set (18.63).
Trending
Senior
Arden Fisher has posted a double-double in all 10 matches played this season. Her streak of 10 matches with a double-double to start a season marks the longest season-opening streak in Robert Morris history dating back to 2003. She leads the Colonials in kills (141) and digs (250). Sophomore outside hitter
Taylor Lord has recorded a double-double in seven of her last 10 outings. She is averaging 2.29 kills and 3.74 digs per set.
All-Tournament Talent
Senior
Arden Fisher has been named to two All-Tournament Teams this preseason (2016 Bulldog Battle at The Citadel and The Maddie Bingaman Memorial Tournament at UMBC). Sophomore
Taylor Lord joined her on the Bulldog Battle list of standouts, while sophomore
Brianna Schmid earned All-Tournament honors at the conclusion of the UMBC tournament.
We Can Dig It
Four Colonials rank among the top-10 in the NEC in digs per set: No. 1
Arden Fisher (5.95), No. 4
Taylor Lord (3.74), No. 6
Allie Yurkovich (3.42), and No. 8
April Krivoniak (3.38).
Success Under Starr
The Colonials posted their best overall winning percentage (.594) under head coach
Dale Starr last season. Starr is two wins shy of his 100th victory as head coach of the Robert Morris volleyball program and six victories short of his 200
th career win at the Division I level.
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