BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The
Robert Morris volleyball team saw a season of progress end with a four-set loss (23-25, 8-25, 25-18, 20-25) to host and defending champion LIU Brooklyn in the Northeast Conference Tournament Semifinal at the Steinberg Wellness Center Friday.
Robert Morris, originally picked to finish fifth, returned to the NEC Tournament in 2017, its 18th appearance in the past 19 seasons. It was a collegiate curtain call for accomplished setter
Brianna Frakes, who capped a memorable senior campaign with 33 assists and 12 digs. Frakes led an RMU squad eight freshmen deep with 14 double-doubles this year, 11 of which came against conference teams.
She concludes her career with 3,194 assists, making her only the fourth player in RMU history to top 3,000, and Frakes averaged the third-most in the NEC as a senior (8.49). Furthermore, the Michigan native channeled her inner ice hockey goalie with an incredible point that kept the Colonials (14-17, 8-6) alive in the fourth frame.
One of those eight newcomers, middle blocker
Emma Granger, shook off a slow start, and her proficient offense in the third helped Robert Morris get back into the match. Granger, ultimately, lived up to her NEC Rookie of the Year laurels with a team-best 14 kills and a .276 attack average that was second among all competitors.
The only first-year player to receive All-NEC distinction with First Team honors, she ends her maiden NCAA voyage ranked inside the top three in Division I with 61 service aces. Kristie Tuxford and Darcey Miller, with 60 apiece in 1995 and 2004, respectively, shared the previous single-season school record.
Fellow rookie
Alyson Londot gave early life to RMU, which went on a 7-3 spurt to begin the contest, by hitting .667 in the first with a pair of kills and four digs. Londot had five kills on the day.
Another outside hitter, junior
Taylor Lord, stayed true to her respectable two-way form with nine kills and a team-leading 19 digs and two solo blocks, receiving at a .929 clip. Libero
Allie Yurkovich, the second-newest member of the Colonials' 1,000 career dig club, chipped in 16 against the Blackbirds (19-9, 11-3).
Lord and Yurkovich will reunite in 2018 to lead the Colonials defense, and the future of their offense is equally promising with the bespectacled tandem of Granger and
Maria Alfano up front. Alfano made four total blocks at LIU Friday, marking the ninth time in her final 11 freshman outings that she led RMU in that category and/or kills.
Granger posted a .317 average in conference play to end the year, good for second in the conference, and Alfano came in right behind her with a .308 hitting percentage against NEC foes. The former hit .336 overall this season, leaving her second in the NEC.
Also on Friday, rookie outside hitter Mirna Sarjanovic stepped up for RMU, which has already boasted one of the top five deadliest service rotations in the nation (1.76 aces per set), with three aces.
Robert Morris ended 2017 with its 19th consecutive winning record in conference play, the longest such streak of any past or present NEC member.
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