YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Despite a match-high 21 kills from junior outside hitter Taylor Lord, the Robert Morris University volleyball team suffered a 3-2 loss (22-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-18, 11-15) in non-conference play Tuesday evening against Youngstown State at the Beeghly Center.

With the loss, the Colonials fall to 1-4 on the season. Meanwhile, the Penguins improve to 4-0. Robert Morris became the first team to win a set off Youngstown State this season.

Lord matched her career-high with 21 kills while hitting at a .314 clip. She added 23 digs to record her second double-double of the season. It marked Lord's eighth-career 20-plus dig performance. Freshman middle blocker Emma Granger added nine kills while classmate Maria Alfano chipped in with eight kills and hit .318. Granger tallied eight total blocks (seven block assists). Senior Deja Tamlin totaled seven kills and six block assists.

Senior setter Brianna Frakes notched her third 30-plus assist match of the season with a match-high 31 helpers. Freshman setter Whitney Brown added 19 assists.

In the first set the two teams traded the opening points before Alyson Londot gave Robert Morris a 6-5 lead on a service ace. The Colonials pushed the lead to 13-11 on a ball handling error before going up 17-14 on an attack error. The Penguins then took a 22-20 lead before the Colonials evened the set at 22-22 on an attack error. After a Youngstown State timeout, the Penguins won the next three points to win the set.

Robert Morris jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second set on an attack error. The Colonials pushed the lead to 11-4 on a kill from freshman Caroline Bain. Youngstown State pulled to within 14-12 on a Sam Brown service ace. The Penguins then tied things up at 19-19 before taking the set 25-23 on a kill by Margaux Thompson.

Youngstown State raced out to a 7-2 lead in the beginning of the third set before Robert Morris used a 7-0 run to take a 9-7 lead. Mirna Sarjanovic tallied a service ace to give the Colonials a 15-12 lead. The RMU lead grew to 19-14 on a kill from Lord which forced a Youngstown State timeout. The Penguins pulled to within 23-18 before a kill from Sarjanovic and an ace from Granger forced a fourth set.

The fourth set saw the Colonials jump out to a 9-3 lead after an attack error. The RMU lead swelled to 18-10 on another Youngtown State attack error. The Penguins cut the lead to 20-17 before the Colonials finished the set on a 5-1 run to force a deciding set.

In the fifth set, Youngstown State took an early 3-1 lead before Robert Morris cut the lead to 9-8 on a kill from Lord. An attack error then tied the set at 10-10 before the Penguins won the set with a 5-1 run.

The Colonials return to action on Friday-Saturday, September 1-2 when they compete in the Duquesne Invitational.

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