Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU volleyball team continued its final homestand of the 2021 season Friday, falling in five sets to UIC at the UPMC Events Center. The Colonials slipped to 9-20 (.310) overall during the 2021 season, including 2-15 (.118) in the Horizon League.
OPENING STRONG
A back-and-forth affair all evening, the Colonials got off to a good start, earning a 25-22 victory in the first set on the strength of a .355 hitting percentage. The outside hitters for RMU did the damage, as
Alyson Londot (5),
Alyssa Hudak (4) and
Annie Monaco (4) combined for 13 kills, with Londot producing a .556 attack percentage. Fifth-year middle blocker
Emma Granger gave the Colonials a 12-9 advantage with a service ace, which capped a 5-2 spurt for RMU. Tied, 20-20, in the opening set, Londot produced a kill on a feed from setter
Megan Cannon, and another ace from Granger put the Colonials on top, 22-20. Monaco would seal the opening set triumph with a kill.
ROUND AND ROUND
In a second set that featured a whopping 25 ties and six lead changes, UIC took the marathon set, 34-32, after a kill from Becca Oldendorf. The Colonials looked as if they had the set won, 25-23, but a challenge from the Flames (17-11 / 13-3 #HLVB) was proven successful, tying the score, 24-24. Monaco came back with a kill that gave RMU a 25-24 edge, and the back-and-forth affair marked the longest set for the Colonials since 2019. Coincidentally, it was also the second set that went the extra distance that day, as RMU prevailed, 35-33, in an eventual 3-0 win over Hampton at the Henson's Hawk Invitational in Princess Anne, Md.
QUOTABLE
"We're still running as a collective unit," interim head coach
Danny Doherty. "Our girls had a great focus and came out with a high will to win and execute. (UIC) is a dang good team. There were 25 ties in that second set, which is unreal. We put ourselves in a position to be successful and we fought tooth and nail as much as we could, but we just couldn't gut it out."
THREE, FOUR, FIVE
Bolstered from its win in the second set, UIC jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the third en route to a 25-14 victory. The Colonials didn't fold, however, grabbing a 24-17 lead in the fourth before earning a 25-22 win to set up the fifth and deciding set. RMU was able to force the fifth with solid defense, racking up 17 digs in the fourth and 72 overall for the match, the third highest total for the Colonials during the 2021 season. Junior
Allena Carmody led the way with 22. In the fifth, RMU grabbed an early 3-1 lead after a kill from outside hitter
Abby Ryan, but the Flames used a 10-3 run to grab an 11-6 lead on their way to a 15-9 victory.
QUOTABLE
"We have five amazing kids that we've seen mature over the past four, five years," Doherty said regarding Senior Day Sunday. "It's an end for them, but one of the greatest things is knowing that you've been a part of what they are and who they are. I'm excited for the next steps they're going to take in their lives."
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
The Colonials received a balanced attack offensively against the Flames, with Monaco leading the way. She notched her third double-double of the season with 15 kills while matching a career high with 16 digs. Hudak contributed 12 kills and a .258 hitting percentage, while Londot finished with 10 kills. Hudak also recorded eight block assists along with Granger, who also led the Colonials by recording three of RMU's nine service aces.
UP NEXT
RMU concludes its 2021 season with Senior Day at the UPMC Events Center Sunday with a 2:00 p.m. first serve against Green Bay. The Colonials will honor their five seniors after the match.
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