Moon Township, Pa. – The defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champion
Robert Morris University volleyball team starts a brand new season as conference action kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 24 with Central Connecticut State and Sunday, Sept. 25 against Bryant. Both matches are set to begin at 3 p.m. in the Charles L. Sewall Center.
RMU (6-8) enters the NEC slate following its best preseason tournament season of the
Dale Starr era, despite falling short in its last four outings.
OPENING NEC WEEKEND RUNDOWN
Robert Morris versus Opening NEC Weekend Opponents
CCSU | 5-7, 0-0 (NEC)
Robert Morris is 21-10 all-time against Central Connecticut State.
BRYANT | 8-9, 0-0 (NEC)
The Colonials are 12-4 all-time versus the Bulldogs.
Early Predictions
The Colonials collected six first-place votes to earn the top spot in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. RMU qualified for its 17th consecutive NEC Tournament last season, extending the conference's longest active streak. In each of those 17 seasons, the Colonials have posted a winning record in league competition, which stands as the longest such streak of any NEC member, past or present.
Preseason Tournament Success
Robert Morris capped the 2016 preseason tournament portion of the schedule 6-6 (6-8 overall including stand-alone matches at Kent State and versus Youngstown State), marking the best record of its kind under head coach
Dale Starr. For the second consecutive season, the Colonials went undefeated in at least one preseason tournament (Robert Morris Invitational in 2016; Rose Hill Classic in 2015).
Making History
With 24 digs on Tuesday, Sept. 13 against Youngstown State, senior outside hitter
Arden Fisher became the first in Robert Morris history to amass 1,000-plus career kills (1,056) and 1,500-plus career digs (1,541). Fisher is just the third in Colonials history to eclipse the 1,000 career mark in both categories. She joins Megan Bell (2002-05) 1,435 kills; 1,294 digs and Lindsey Monger (2009-12) 1,226 kills; 1,290 digs.
National Radar
Senior
Arden Fisher has been making waves through the first four weeks of NCAA Division I action. She currently ranks No. 4 in the nation in digs per set (5.52) 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 ninth in the nation in digs per set (17.67).
Trending
Senior
Arden Fisher has posted a double-double in 11 of 13 matches played this season. Her streak of 11 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 (166) and digs (287). 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 three All-Tournament Teams this preseason (2016 Bulldog Battle at The Citadel and The Maddie Bingaman Memorial Tournament at UMBC, and the Panther Challenge at Pitt). 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
Three Colonials rank among the top-10 in the NEC in digs per set: No. 1
Arden Fisher (5.52), No. 6
Taylor Lord (3.74), and No. 9
Allie Yurkovich (3.24).
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.
Ready to Repeat
The Robert Morris Colonials claimed the 2015 Northeast Conference Tournament crown after they topped No. 3 seed Bryant, 3-1, in the semifinals, and upset the No. 1 seed and three-time defending tournament champion and regular season victor LIU Brooklyn, 3-1, on the Blackbirds' home court. This is the eighth conference tournament title for RMU and the first under head coach
Dale Starr in his six appearances. Senior
April Krivoniak was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament. Junior
Brianna Frakes and graduated senior
Kristin Thompson were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
A Historic Run
Robert Morris qualified for its 17th consecutive NEC Tournament last year, extending the conference's longest active streak. In the last 17 seasons, the Colonials have posted a winning record in league play; the longest such streak of any NEC member, past or present. Over that time span, RMU has gone 154-36 in conference play.
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