HACKENSACK, N.J. -- While it remains to be seen what kind of Senior Day celebration the
Robert Morris volleyball team will throw, what with three home matches left and only two seniors on the 2017 roster, RMU proved it knows how to spoil one.
A resounding straight-set victory (25-7, 25-19, 25-21) over Fairleigh Dickinson (5-20, 1-9) at the Rothman Center Saturday evening gave the Colonials (13-13, 7-4) a second sweep of the Knights this season, their fourth win in a row and sole possession of the fourth and final NEC Tournament spot, setting the stage for a critical match with trailing Saint Francis University at the North Athletic Complex next Friday.
Robert Morris immediately shook up the festivities at FDU by racing out to a 14-3 lead and scarcely looking back. It enjoyed its largest margin of single-set victory since a 25-9 decision in the fourth frame of an eventual 3-2 win over La Salle at the conclusion of the Valley Forge Invitational Sept. 9.
Its aforementioned seniors led the charge. Setter
Brianna Frakes promptly registered her fifth double-double in a row and team-best 11th of the season with 36 assists and 11 digs. Outside hitter and fellow Michigander
Deja Tamlin, who made timely plays all night in an earlier, more dramatic win at Sacred Heart, continued her fine weekend with two total blocks, three digs and six kills, hitting .400.
The Colonials, who entered this weekend the Northeast Conference's team leader in hitting percentage, were simply dominant on offense, going a staggering .364 as a group for their best single-match average of the year.
They have raised eyebrows all season with the above-the-line play of their historically large eight-member freshman class, and this contest was no different. While conference aces leader
Emma Granger had an uncommonly quiet day in the Robert Morris service rotation, the four-time
Molten/NEC Rookie of the Week still contributed with a team-high 11 kills, .417 attack average and four total blocks.
Maria Alfano, making eight kills, was also on her game up front.
But the real watershed moment came at the very end of the night for another rookie middle blocker and, to this point, one of head coach
Dale Starr's less featured newcomers. Littleton, Colo. native Skylar Clements, RMU's westernmost first-year player, delivered her first-ever NEC match point to seal the victory.
Previously, Clements had recorded two others in non-conference wins over Coppin State (Sept. 2) and Siena (Sept. 8).
Robert Morris will briefly interrupt NEC play for its final non-conference match of 2017, a Halloween visit to West Virginia Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m.
Follow the Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
