MATCH 17
Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021
Regents Hall • Highland Heights, Ky.
RMU (8-8 / 1-3 #HLVB) @ Northern Kentucky (6-6 / 2-1 #HLVB)
 
Can You Dig It?
 
- The RMU volleyball team takes to the road for its first match in Horizon League play away from home with a mid-week contest against Northern Kentucky Tuesday at Regents Hall.
 
- The Colonials concluded a four-match homestand last weekend at the UPMC Events Center by splitting a pair of matches, dropping a 3-1 decision to Purdue Fort Wayne (10/1) before earning a 3-0 victory over IUPUI (10/2).
 
- In the triumph over the Jaguars, sophomore outside hitter Annie Monaco paced RMU with 14 kills, a .435 hitting percentage and 11 digs. It marked her third double-double of the 2021 season.
 
- Outside of the efforts from Monaco in the win over IUPUI, the Colonials received a balanced attack, with graduate students Emma Granger and Alyson Londot, senior Alyssa Hudak and sophomore Abby Ryan each contributing five kills. Granger chipped in three service aces and four blocks.
 
- RMU sits atop the Horizon League leaderboard in assists, having recorded 132 in 60 sets, an average of 2.20 per set. The Colonials lead NCAA Division I in total assists (117) while ranking third in assists per set, trailing only Delaware State (2.24) and Illinois (2.22).
 
- Defensively, the Colonials continue to top #HLVB in opponent assists, allowing an average of 10.62 per set, while ranking third in opponent hitting percentage (.191) and kills (12.07 per set).
 
- Graduate student Emma Granger enters Tuesday's match @ Northern Kentucky leading the Horizon League in both blocks and service aces with per set averages of 1.18 and 0.68, respectively. She also ranks seventh in attack percentage (.285) and 10th in points (3.50 per set).
 
- During RMU's four-match homestand, Granger and Hudak tied for team-high honors in kills, with each producing 31 in 13 sets (2.38 per set). Granger finished with a .313 hitting percentage and also tallied seven service aces and 19 blocks.
 
- RMU returns home to the UPMC Events Center after taking on the Norse Tuesday to host Youngstown State Friday, Oct. 8, at 6:00 p.m. at the UPMC Events Center. The tilt against the Penguins kicks off Homecoming festivities at RMU, with an alumni mixer to follow at Four Twelve Winery.
 
NORTHERN KENTUCKY LINKS
- Live Stats

The All-Time Series (Northern Kentucky) – The Colonials and Norse square off on the court for the fourth time Tuesday, with Northern Kentucky owning a 2-1 (.667) edge in the all-time series. Last season in a doubleheader at the UPMC Events Center, RMU earned a split, winning, 3-0, in the opener before falling in the nightcap, 3-1. Outside hitter Alyssa Hudak finished with 17 kills and seven blocks in the two matches for the Colonials. 
 
Flourishing – Sophomore outside hitter Annie Monaco is coming off one of her most complete weekends as RMU gets set for its Horizon League road opener Tuesday at Northern Kentucky. In two matches that concluded a four-match homestand at the UPMC Events Center, Monaco combined for 27 kills, a .365 attack percentage and 20 digs in a split with Purdue Fort Wayne (10/1) and IUPUI (10/2). She enters Tuesday's match against the Norse leading the Colonials in hitting percentage at .287, which ranks sixth in the Horizon League. Against league foes thus far, Monaco also paces RMU in the category at .319.
 
3,2,1 – The weekend featured a pair of double-doubles for RMU, as freshman Ashleigh Wallin notched her first career NCAA double-double with career highs in both assists (35) and digs (10) against Purdue Fort Wayne (10/1), while sophomore Annie Monaco recorded her second career double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs in a 3-0 sweep of IUPUI (10/2). Monaco posted her first career double-double in a 3-2 win over Coppin State (9/10) with career highs in kills (17) and digs (16). Leading the Colonials in double-doubles thus far during the 2021 season is sophomore Abby Ryan, who owns three.
 
Ace of Base – Graduate student Emma Granger, who owns the RMU career record for service aces with 224, ranks in the top five in NCAA Division I in the category. Her per set average of 0.68 currently ranks fourth in the country, while her 38 total service aces ranks second, trailing only Dani Nay (40) of Weber State. Granger has recorded at least one service ace in 14 of the 15 matches she has appeared in during the 2021 season, including five consecutive matches. During that span, Granger has posted 15 service aces in 16 sets (0.94).
 
The Final Countdown – Granger also continues to climb the charts at RMU in regard to blocks. Last weekend at the UPMC Events Center as the Colonials concluded a four-match homestand, Granger recorded nine blocks, pushing her career total in the category to 455. She currently ranks third all-time in program history in the category, trailing only Kristie Tuxford (1992-95) and Becky Jay (2011-14). Tuxford finished with 460 career total blocks, while Jay owns the school record with 463.

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