SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- The Cardiac Colonials tried in vain to live up to that moniker once again Saturday evening, but the Robert Morris volleyball team saw Northeast Conference rival Bryant turn the tables to escape with a five-set victory (25-18, 16-25, 25-20, 18-25, 12-15) at the Chace Athletic Center.

Sophomore middle blockers Emma Granger and Skylar Clements gave RMU a 9-7 lead in the decisive frame on consecutive kills. After block assists by Clements and Liz Campbell made it 11-10, however, a four-point run by the Bulldogs proved to be its undoing.

Granger, the Week 4 Molten/NEC Player of the Week, led the Colonials in kills for the fifth time in six matches, finishing with 14 on a .258 attack average. She registered a team-best three service aces, giving her 21 on the season, and she and Clements co-led Robert Morris with four total blocks apiece, including three solo stops by the latter.

Another sophomore, setter Whitney Brown, sparked the offense with her fourth double-double of the year, equaling Taylor Lord. The longtime Pittsburgher and former Avonworth High School standout recorded 37 assists and 15 digs.

Coming off a frustrating NEC opener at Central Connecticut, Robert Morris started much more promisingly. Granger and Maria Alfano solidified the front row, pushing the Colonials to a 9-5 lead after back-to-back Granger aces.

Momentum swung wildly throughout the first set. Lord, who gutted out eight kills and 16 digs, fueled a 7-1 run by RMU that resulted in a 17-9 cushion that the Bulldogs (11-7, 2-0) promptly turned into a three-point game. The Colonials took advantage of some Bryant miscues on four of the final five points to take the opening set for the fifth time in 2018.

A 6-0 outburst late in the second helped Bryant even the match. The third was a bit more of a seesaw battle, though Robert Morris eventually built a 17-11 lead thanks in part to kills by Granger and Brown. Brown would set up Granger for set point and a two-sets-to-one edge.

Clements gave the visitors a glimmer of hope late in the fourth, but the Bulldogs offense was too hot to handle on an 8-1 tear that gave them a 23-14 bulge.

Still, the Colonials showed more poise defensively in its latest meeting with a Bryant squad that had dominated both 2017 regular-season matchups. RMU held the Bulldogs to a .156 team hitting percentage, and senior libero Allie Yurkovich matched her career high with 26 digs, topping all participants.

Robert Morris (6-10, 0-2) continues NEC play next Friday at arch-rival Saint Francis U. First serve from DeGol Arena in Loretto, Pennsylvania is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT.

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