Chicago, Ill. – Facing the first road test of its Horizon League era, the Robert Morris University volleyball team battled back from two sets down to force a fourth, but ultimately fell 3-1 (17-25, 14-25, 25-20, 15-25) to UIC this evening from Flames Athletic Center. RMU falls to 0-3 with the defeat, while the Flames improve to 3-0.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Riding some momentum after a hard-fought 25-20 victory in the third set, RMU opened the fourth frame with four of the first six points. Two of those came from Alyssa Hudak kills, and she added another to tie it at 5-5 following a three-point run for UIC. The Colonials then used another 4-2 split to grab a 9-7 advantage in the stanza, as Alyson Londot found the floor twice and Emma Brown provided a kill. However, a 5-0 surge from the Flames on the back of four Paola Santiago kills forced a RMU timeout and shifted the pendulum in the hosts' favor.
DYNAMIC DUO-H-I-O
Ohio natives Alyson Londot and Alyssa Hudak led the Colonial attack this evening, both providing a team-high 13 kills. Londot was efficient, hitting at a .379 clip over 29 swings with just two errors. Hudak posted her second double-double in three matches, converting at a .290 rate with 10 digs. The junior outside hitter has recorded 10 digs in each of RMU's opening three tilts after not reaching double figures in that category over the entire 2019 season.
STAYING ALIVE
Down 2-0 for the match, the Colonials fell behind 3-0 in the third set before three straight Hudak kills and an Emily Devlin point gave the visitors a 5-3 advantage. The frame tightened up until the Flames took a 16-13 lead on a Zahria Woodward spike, but a 3-1 rally soon after pulled RMU within one at 17-16. The one-point deficit remained through 20-19, then Whitney Brown forced a deadlock with a kill. A Maria Alfano point pushed the Colonials ahead and forced a UIC timeout, but the break did the hosts no good as Alfano netted three more kills and a block to extend the match another set.
2K WATCH
Senior setter Whitney Brown is now three assists shy of becoming the eighth player in program history to record 2,000 over their career, as she paced the offense with 43 this evening. Brown added five digs, two kills, and a block assist over the four sets, and is averaging 9.83 helpers per frame this season.
MARIA MARIA
After missing RMU's opening two matches to injury, senior middle blocker Maria Alfano made her season debut this evening. The All-Northeast Conference (NEC) First Team selection from a season ago collected eight kills, two block assists, and two blocks – highlighted by the aforementioned closing stretch to the third set.
THE OPPONENT
UIC was led offensively by Morgan Kull, who dished out 53 of the team's 59 assists. Paola Santiago, the reigning Horizon League Co-Player of the Week, finished with a 18-kill, 12-dig double-double, while Martina Delucchi recorded a match-high 21 digs to go with 13 kills.
NEXT UP
RMU and UIC clash again on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 5:00 p.m. (ET), 4:00 p.m. (CT) from the Flames Athletic Center. The match can be seen on ESPN+.
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