Volleyball | 11/2/2017 1:42:00 PM
MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The
Robert Morris University volleyball team tries for its fifth conference win in a row when it hosts Northeast Conference rival Saint Francis University for a 7:00 p.m. first serve at the North Athletic Complex Friday.
RMU defeated SFU 3-1 (19-25, 25-16, 25-23, 25-22) Sept. 22 at DeGol Arena in Loretto, Pennsylvania, as
Allie Yurkovich surpassed 1,000 career digs in the victory, and
Alyson Londot made a season-high 30. The Colonials lead Saint Francis by one game for the fourth and final berth in the 2017 NEC Women's Volleyball Tournament and sit just one game off the conference lead.
COMPLETE NOTES PACKAGE: Robert Morris vs. Saint Francis U (11/3/17)
Last Time Out
Robert Morris concluded the non-conference portion of its 2017 schedule with a straight-set setback (10-25, 23-25, 15-25) at West Virginia University Tuesday night. Twelve different Colonials saw playing time, including locals
Caroline Bain (Oakland Catholic H.S.) and
Whitney Brown (Avonworth H.S.), with Brown chipping in six assists and a service ace and matching
Allie Yurkovich's team-high five digs. West Virginia native
Taylor Lord featured in two sets, earning three kills, two digs and receiving at a .938 clip.
In its last NEC tour of duty, RMU rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a dramatic 3-2 win (23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 18-16) at Sacred Heart last Friday, not to mention a season sweep of the Pioneers.
Maria Alfano led RMU with a season-high 18 kills, hitting a team-best .436. The Colonials extended their conference winning streak to four matches last Saturday with their second straight-set victory (25-7, 25-19, 25-21) over Fairleigh Dickinson in 2017 and fourth in a row dating back to last season. This time,
Taylor Lord and
Emma Granger led the attack with 11 kills apiece.
Making History
With 3,069 all-time assists through Tuesday, senior setter and recently-named NEC Prime Performer
Brianna Frakes became the fourth player in Robert Morris history to reach 3,000 in the come-from-behind win at SHU Oct. 27. She began her NCAA career as an understudy to Hannah Hoffman, the most recent Colonial to collect that many helpers (3,606 total) while playing for Robert Morris 2011-2014. Darcey Miller '04 (4,557) and Tawnya Storino '07 (3,617) top the list.
Scouting The Opponent
Saint Francis (12-12, 6-5) has been up-and-down as of late, going 4-4 in October and coming off a straight-set loss at Sacred Heart Oct. 28. Senior setter Lauren Williams posted a double-double in the Red Flash's win over Fairleigh Dickinson last Friday. She fell just two assists shy of tying the NEC season-high for assists across a four set match with 51 to go along with her 12 digs. Senior libero/defensive specialist Jenna Veres averages 5.85 digs per set, ranking seventh nationally, and posted a match-high 34 the last time she faced RMU.
About Robert Morris
The Colonials were predicted to finish in fifth place in the 2017 NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. RMU missed qualifying for its 18th consecutive NEC Tournament by just one game last season. In each of the last 18 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.
MUSKET SHOTS
Granger Things
Four-time
Molten/NEC Rookie of the Week
Emma Granger has emerged as the biggest threat in this year's revamped RMU service rotation. Granger leads the conference and is tied for third in Division with 53 total service aces. Robert Morris, as a team, ranks third nationally with 1.79 aces per set, thanks in large part to the Dalton (Ohio) H.S. standout. Meanwhile, she sits second in the NEC with a .360 hitting percentage and eighth in kills per set (3.01). In last Friday's dramatic comeback at Sacred Heart, Granger made a personal-best ten total blocks, along with 13 kills, for her first career double-double, and she now finds herself tied for third in the NEC in blocks per set (1.00).
Season Two
The 2017 Colonials have no sophomores, but Saint Francis University's most recent visit to Robert Morris was a memorable one for a key member of last year's sophomore class. In a sweep (25-19, 25-15, 25-14) of the Red Flash at the Sewall Center Oct. 15, 2016,
Taylor Lord led RMU with a double-double, 14 kills and 15 digs, while delivering two service aces and hitting at a .303 clip. The Colonials' nine total aces in that match were, at the time, their most in conference play. Lord finished her second collegiate campaign with 14 double-doubles and has nine this season.
Net Flicks
Another local success story like that of Jefferson Hills'
Allie Yurkovich is being authored by
Maria Alfano, who has complemented
Emma Granger quite nicely at the middle blocker spot in her own rookie campaign. After winning a district championship with Seneca Valley H.S. in 2016, Alfano has climbed all the way to fourth in the NEC with a .295 hitting percentage, and she has led RMU in kills and/or blocks in six of her last eight conference matches. She and
Taylor Lord both put up season-highs in total blocks (7.0 and 5.0, respectively) at Sacred Heart last Friday.
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