MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- There's a lot of NEC competition left to be conquered, and a lot for head coach Dale Starr to learn about this year's Robert Morris volleyball team. What he has learned in conference play thus far is that the 2017 squad is a promising mix of youth and experience.

Senior setter Brianna Frakes came through for the Colonials (9-9, 3-0) with 34 assists and 12 digs, her fifth double-double of the season, and freshman middle blocker Emma Granger led the offensive charge with 14 kills and five service aces, hitting .323 in a 3-0 victory (26-24, 25-16, 25-23) over Fairleigh Dickinson at the North Athletic Complex Saturday night. RMU extended its winning streak to an active NEC-best four matches while handing the Knights (3-14, 0-3) a ninth consecutive setback.

Granger, who entered this weekend the conference leader in aces and near the top ten nationally, matched her game best in that category on match point to complete the sweep. The back-to-back straight-set victories at home for Robert Morris echoed a pair over Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart almost three years ago to the day, Sept. 27-28, 2014, in which Frakes was the only current Colonial to appear.

What made this one unique was the stubbornness of the struggling visitors, as RMU won for the first time all year--and just the 14th time in Starr's eight-season tenure--despite being outhit (.208 to .194). The opening set featured 11 ties, and FDU showed spunk by turning an early 9-6 deficit into an 18-15 lead.

The Colonials, however, constantly showed Fairleigh Dickinson their determination to avoid a letdown after Friday's eyebrow-raiser. They rallied for a 24-23 edge, and Frakes ultimately set up kills by outside hitters Deja Tamlin and Taylor Lord to put Robert Morris up 1-0.

Tamlin, reinserted into the starting lineup, finished with seven kills, and Lord chipped in 13 to go with her eight digs.

RMU fell behind again, 8-5, in the second set, but then took an apparent stranglehold on the match by grabbing 11 of the next 15 points. The Colonials ended the set on an 8-2 run with Granger collecting a late kill and service ace and Frakes finishing it off with an ace of her own, making her one of six different Robert Morris players to register one.

Again, the Knights would not say nay so easily. They took an 11-6 lead in the last set, then pushed it to 15-8 some time after RMU used its first timeout. A kill by Granger, from Frakes, followed by a Granger service ace, temporarily stopped the bleeding, and Robert Morris eventually went on a 5-0 run to tie it at 18.

The teams traded blows on the scoreboard until a kill by Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week Alyson Londot put the Colonials ahead for good before Granger provided the final margin.

Junior libero/defensive specialist Allie Yurkovich, who recently celebrated the 1,000-career dig mark, also helped spark that third-set turnaround with eight of her 19 digs on the night. In addition, she ended with six assists.

Robert Morris will try to keep its win streak going on a four-match road swing. Prior to next Saturday's 4:00 p.m. first serve at St. Francis Brooklyn, RMU has a date with reigning NEC Tournament champion LIU Brooklyn Friday at 6:00 p.m.

The Blackbirds will be the next home opponent for the Colonials as well, Oct. 20 at 7:00 p.m.

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