MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The
Robert Morris volleyball team, on the eve of Senior Night, was unable to keep afloat its outside chance of hosting the NEC Tournament in a straight-set loss to Bryant (17-25, 19-25, 20-25) at the North Athletic Complex Friday night.
Still bound for the postseason for the 18th time in the last 19 years, the Colonials (14-15, 8-5) now assume the fourth seed and will play Nov. 17-18 at a site to be determined. The Bulldogs (20-13, 10-3), LIU Brooklyn and Saturday's opponent, Central Connecticut, are their potential conference semifinal opponents entering Saturday.
Junior outside hitter
Taylor Lord, a member of the last Robert Morris team to capture the NEC Tournament title, flirted with a double-double, settling for nine kills and 13 digs.
Rookie middle blocker
Maria Alfano led RMU with ten kills and a solid .348 hitting percentage. The former WPIALÂ (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) champion at Seneca Valley H.S. came into this weekend fourth in the NEC at a .290 clip, and this marked her seventh time in the past nine matches leading the Colonials in kills and/or total blocks. Fellow western Pa. newcomer
Whitney Brown made eight digs and had five assists.
The Colonials' regular setter,
Brianna Frakes, recorded 23 helpers in the penultimate regular-season match of her career.
Another reminder of the program's bright future came in the form of
Erika Wilt, who attained a new career high with her match-best 14 digs. The reserve outside hitter played all three sets. Meanwhile,
Skylar Clements, the westernmost recruit in head coach
Dale Starr's 2017 class, got some more playing time and contributed three kills.
Frakes and
Deja Tamlin play in their final regular-season match Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Senior Night festivities will take place at the North Athletic Complex after Robert Morris decides its conference tournament destiny in the finale against CCSU.
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