Volleyball | 8/30/2018 6:06:00 PM

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The Robert Morris volleyball team continues non-conference play on the road this weekend with another tournament, as it takes on the Camels of Campbell University and the Tribe of the College of William & Mary in the Hokie Invitational Friday. First serves from the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia are set for 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EDT, respectively, and live stats are available at bit.ly/rmuvolleyball.

The Colonials conclude their portion of the tournament Saturday against host Virginia Tech. First serve from the Cassell Coliseum is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. EDT, and the match can be seen live on ACC Network Extra.

Robert Morris (0-3) at the Hokie Invitational
Fri., Aug. 31 vs. Campbell (10:00 a.m.) - LIVE STATS
Fri., Aug. 31 vs. William & Mary (5:00 p.m.) - LIVE STATS
Sat., Sept. 1 at Virginia Tech (4:00 p.m.) - LIVE STREAM | LIVE STATS

COMPLETE NOTES PACKAGE: Robert Morris at the Hokie Invitational (Aug. 31-Sept. 1, 2018) (PDF)

RMU has split its only two meetings all-time with Campbell, which it will face for the first time since the turn of the century. The Colonials, most recently, edged the Camels in a five-set battle Sept. 16, 2000 at the Coastal Carolina Tournament. Campbell earned a four-set win over Robert Morris in the latter's Sept. 1, 1995 season opener, at the James Madison Invitational.

The Colonials, meanwhile, seek their first-ever victories over their other two opponents. They fell to Virginia Tech in straight sets at the Akron Tournament Sept. 6, 2002 and bowed to William & Mary in three straight at the Kent State Open Sept. 9, 2011, despite the fourth double-double (10 kills, 13 digs) in a span of five matches from Lindsey Monger.

Last Time Out
Whitney Brown and Taylor Lord each registered double-doubles, but the Colonials were unable to come away with wins over Western Carolina, Middle Tennessee or Charleston Southern in the Catamount Classic.

Scouting The Opponents
Campbell (1-2) is coming off its first win of the 2018 season, a come-from-behind, five-set victory over Cal State Bakersfield at San Diego State University's Aztec Invitational last Saturday in which it rallied from two sets down. Rookie outside hitter Sarah Colla, a 2017 Third Team AVCA All-American at San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas, California, led the Camels with 16 kills and 12 digs for her first collegiate double-double, adding six total blocks. Colla hit .247 for the tournament, averaging 13.0 kills per match and amassing 20 digs and eight total blocks.

William & Mary (0-3), like Robert Morris, is going for its first win of 2018, after being swept by Davidson to conclude its portion of the Wildcat Classic at Davidson College last Saturday. One of the Tribe's top rookies, middle blocker Madeleine Bertz, was named to the all-tournament team after finishing the weekend with 23 kills on a .378 hitting efficiency and recording eight blocks, plus five service aces.

Virginia Tech (3-0) comes home with the co-championship of last weekend's Charlotte Invitational, starting with straight-set wins over USC Upstate and Presbyterian College and ending with a five-set result over the host 49ers. Sophomore outside hitter Kaity Smith shared tournament MVP honors, recording 41 kills, 33 digs, three blocks, two aces and a .306 attack average for the Hokies.

About Robert Morris
RMU was picked third in the 2018 NEC Preseason Poll, and it was one of four to receive a first-place vote. One of the most successful teams at Robert Morris and in the Northeast Conference, the volleyball program has won six NEC regular-season championships, including four straight from 2001-2004. The Colonials have also won eight NEC Tournament titles, including five straight from 1999-2003. Robert Morris reached the NCAA Tournament following each of those five NEC Tournament championships, and again in 2015.

MUSKET SHOTS

Brevity Is The Soul Of Whit
Whitney Brown needed just one weekend as her team's new starting setter for the Colonials to earn the first conference accolade of her career. Brown was tabbed as a Week 1 NEC Prime Performer after finishing the Catamount Volleyball Classic Aug. 24-25 with 8.3 assists per set, the third-most in the NEC, 24 digs, eight total blocks and six kills over three matches, including 28 helpers and ten digs versus Middle Tennessee last Saturday. Her three kills against MTSU immediately tripled her freshman total.
 

Killer Queen
Emma Granger led the Colonials and ranked ninth in the Northeast Conference with 2.92 kills per set as the NEC's 2017 Rookie of the Year and fourth in RMU history, and she led the Robert Morris attack against Charleston Southern in the Catamount Classic with 11 kills last Saturday. Only four players in program history have finished their careers averaging 3.00 kills per set or better, and Granger enters this weekend ranked fifth on the all-time chart with 2.86 per frame.

Taylor's Reputation Tour
Taylor Lord led Robert Morris with 11 kills and 11 digs versus Middle Tennessee last Saturday in the Catamount Classic. She ended last season with ten double-doubles, and one of them came in the team's previous meeting with the Blue Raiders, Sept. 15, 2017 at the Sewall Center. Lord has reached double figures in digs in six of her last seven matches dating back to last year, and she enters Friday sixth in Colonials history in career digs per set, with 3.45. 

"I'll Take Robert Morris To Block."
The Colonials held the advantage in team blocks over two of their three Catamount Classic opponents. In 2017 they went 8-6 when finishing a match tied or ahead in blocks. RMU led all NEC schools on opening weekend by averaging 2.60 blocks per set, putting them inside the top 50 nationally as well. Individually, Emma Granger (1.20) and Maria Alfano (1.10) were second and third in the conference, respectively, in blocks per set for Week 1. Granger ranked fourth in that category (1.06) as a rookie.

Enjoying Their New Digs
Robert Morris also leads the Northeast Conference in average digs per set, with 16.20, through its first three matches. Defensively, Nikolette Zanolli did not disappoint in her collegiate debut, racking up ten digs versus Middle Tennessee last Saturday and nearly equalling Allie Yurkovich's team-high 16 with 15 against Charleston Southern. Zanolli, named the Stark County (Ohio) Libero of the Year her final two high school seasons, ranks second in the NEC with her 4.17 digs-per-set average.
 

Hold It Now, Hit It
Maria Alfano was fifth of all NEC players in Week 1 with her .281 hitting percentage in the Catamount Classic. Alfano hit .200 or better in ten of her final 12 matches as a rookie, and she hit .241 within non-conference competition in 2017, the second-highest average on the team (min. 3 total attempts).

Hey Rookie, Welcome To The Show
Megan Cannon was the only Colonial to unofficially register a double-double (10 assists, 11 digs) in the team's preseason scrimmage with Division II Seton Hill Aug. 18 at the North Athletic Complex, and she officially debuted with five assists and a pair of digs at Western Carolina last Friday. Alyssa Hudak earned her first collegiate kill against the Catamounts, as did Emily Devlin, who finished with four. In addition, Devlin recorded her first career block assist in the tournament opener.

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