Fort Wayne, Ind. – Finishing up a four-match road swing, the Robert Morris University volleyball team fell in straight sets to Purdue Fort Wayne in Horizon League play this afternoon. RMU falls to 0-6 in the spring slate, while the Mastodons move to 6-2.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Trailing 20-13 in the second set, RMU showed a lot of fight and nearly came the whole way back. Abby Ryan started the comeback attempt with a pair of kills, then Maria Alfano found the floor for a service ace. Whitney Brown then set up Ryan for another point, and Alfano fired a second ace to make it 20-18. Purdue Fort Wayne finally stopped the run with a kill and block to make it a four-point gap, but an error on the next serve pulled the Colonials within three. Ryan made it a three-point deficit again with an answer of a Katie Crowe point, but the visitors couldn't complete the comeback as Ramei Jackson and Madelyn Wurster buried kills to finish the frame at 25-20.
MOVING ON UP
Senior setter Whitney Brown moved into seventh all-time at RMU in assists this afternoon, dishing out 35 helpers to increase her total to 2,063. Brown surpassed Alyssa Bennett (2008-09) on the leaderboard, and now is 112 shy of tying Michelle Bartlett (2,175, 1999-01) for sixth place. The Pittsburgh product led the Colonials in both assists and digs for the third time this season, and added a service ace to a near double-double (35a, 9d).
LEAD THE CHARGE
Freshman outside hitter Abby Ryan paced RMU in kills for the fourth time this season and second time in as many days, tallying 11 on a .194 hitting percentage. Nine of her kills came over the first two sets, and she added three digs and a solo block on the afternoon. Ryan leads the Colonials in kills per set (2.72) and points per set (2.83) in just her first season out of Orchard Park High School.
HIGH HONORS
Senior middle blocker Maria Alfano served up two aces to lead RMU, adding seven kills and two block assists for a total of 11 points. Alfano and classmate Alyson Londot shared the team block lead with two apiece. For Purdue Fort Wayne, Katie Crowe netted a match-best 17 kills and Madison Gates and Rachael Crucis collected 12 digs each.
NEXT UP
RMU returns home for a pair of matches next week, welcoming Wright State to the UPMC Events Center. The Colonials and Raiders will clash at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 22 and 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23, and both matches will be shown on ESPN+.
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