Moon Township, Pa. – Nothing has stood in the way of the Robert Morris University volleyball team to begin 2019, not even a daunting rivalry drought.
In their final home match of the non-conference slate, the Colonials raced past rival Duquesne in three sets (25-21, 25-21, 25-18) this evening at the UPMC Events Center.
You could look at Robert Morris' (7-0, 0-0 NEC) .381 hitting percentage, 10.0 total team blocks, or six service aces and understand how the Colonials snapped their 12-year losing streak against Duquesne (2-5, 0-0 A-10). But to tell the full story, you first have to go back 337 days to the last time the two teams met.
On Oct. 9 of last year, RMU traveled downtown for a non-conference match in hopes of sparking an up-and-down season against its local rival. The Colonials stared down set point three times over the first two sets against the Dukes, but ultimately dropped their 11th straight contest in the series in three sets (25-27, 30-32, 17-25).
"I reminded them before the match," said RMU head coach Dale Starr of last season's defeat. "But I said we're a different team, a different group, a better team. When we get into those positions, we have to finish. We've come close several times with this team, but they just always seem to outwork us. I think we finally have a group that's willing to get into the trenches and work."
GALLERY: Robert Morris 3, Duquesne 0
There would be no such misses this time around. The Colonials capitalized all three times this evening, only allowing the Dukes to pick up five total points when facing set point.
Emma Granger, the reigning Molten/NEC Player of the Week, set the tone early with six of her 15 kills and three of her five service aces in the opening frame. Granger hit at a .591 clip for the match, adding five blocks (two solo) to leave her stamp on the rivalry.
Alyssa Hudak recorded 14 kills on a .379 hitting percentage, while Lauren Kolenik (7 kills), Emily Devlin (6 kills, .600 hitting pct.), and Maria Alfano (6 kills, .462 hitting pct.) all chipped in offensively. Devlin paced the Colonials with six rejections (one solo) as the team collected double-digit blocks for the seventh straight match.
RMU only trailed three times over the course of the night, twice those instances being at 0-1. The Dukes never made it easy on the Colonials, pulling even at 13-13 in the first set and 16-16 in the middle stanza, only for the hosts to find that extra gear they lacked last year to seal the victory.
Momentum swung like a pendulum in the opening frame, with RMU's early six-point rally matched by 8-1 run by Duquesne. Granger broke the 13-13 deadlock with a kill, followed by a Dukes' attack error. The teams traded the next six points, then Granger and Devlin found the floor on back-to-back swings to force a timeout from the visitors. After the break, the Colonials built upon their lead, not allowing Duquesne to pull within three to take the set.
Tied 16-16 in the second stanza, Devlin connected on a swing to kickstart a five-point RMU rally. The Colonials stuffed three straight Dukes attacks, with the sophomore right side being in on all those rejections. Granger and Kolenik added another block for good measure at 23-18, then Granger and Erika Wilt finished the frame off with kills.
The final set didn't provide the same kind of drama, as RMU raced out to an 8-2 advantage. The hosts stretched the gap to 10 points with a Hudak kill at 19-9, providing enough cushion to cruise to their seventh victory of the season.
Whitney Brown dished out 43 assists in the win, while reigning Molten/NEC Defensive Player of the Week, Nikolette Zanolli, led the Colonials in digs with 13.
Already enjoying its best start in program history, RMU entered the evening as one of 23 remaining unbeaten NCAA Division I teams.
"If you would have told me at the beginning of the year that we were going to be 7-0, I probably would have taken that bet," said Starr. "We don't have any seniors – we do have a veteran group – but we're still a young group. To play the way we've played and get out to 7-0 is fantastic. Sometimes late at night I think about how we've gotten here, and just shake my head. We're going to enjoy the ride."
The Colonials' previous win against Duquesne came on Sept. 25, 2007 in four sets. During this drought, RMU had taken just five sets against its rivals.
"Any time you win in three is great," added Starr, who picked up his first career win against the Dukes. "But when you win against your rival in three, it's even better. When you beat a team you haven't beaten in a dozen years in three, that's about as good as it gets."
Robert Morris will attempt to continue its unbeaten start at The Henson's Hawk Invitational this weekend. The Colonials face Hampton on Friday, Sept. 13 at 4:00 p.m., then play a pair against Rider and tournament host Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday, Sept. 14.
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