Moon Township, Pa. – The Robert Morris University volleyball team fell to Wright State this afternoon in straight sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-22) in Horizon League action from the UPMC Events Center. RMU drops to 0-8 (0-8 HL) with the loss, while WSU moves to 8-1 (8-0 HL).
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
An Abby Ryan kill in the third set pushed the Colonials' lead to 15-10, but the Raiders answered with three straight points to pull within two. Ryan again found the floor to bump the score to 16-13, and the teams traded the next five points before a Callie Martin kill brought WSU within one at 18-17. Maria Alfano and Alyssa Hudak teamed up for a block to make it a two-point lead, but a pair of Raider points forced a RMU timeout at 19-19. After an attack error by Sam Ott put the Colonials back in front briefly, the next four points were swapped before WSU closed the match on a 4-0 run to complete the sweep.
MY MARIA
Senior middle blocker Maria Alfano put forth her best performance of the season, finishing with a match-high 16.0 points on 12 kills and six blocks (two solo). Alfano hit at a .500 clip over 22 swings, and now sits sixth all-time at RMU in hitting percentage (.306) after surpassing the qualifying standard of 1,700 career attempts. The Cranberry Township, Pa. native also moved to eighth in career block assists (245) and is one off tying Leah Dunivan (246; 2013-16) for seventh, and sits five total blocks shy of matching Kristin Thompson (283; 2012-15) for ninth in that category.
FIGHTING BACK
Trailing 2-0 in the match, the Colonials didn't start the third set off on the right foot as the Raiders opened up a 6-2 lead. RMU bounced back with eight consecutive points however, taking a 10-6 advantage and setting the stage for an exciting back-and-forth frame. Alfano carried the scoring load during the 8-0 rally, netting three kills and a pair of block assists with Whitney Brown and Alyson Londot. Londot also provided a kill during the run, and the Colonials also benefited from a Callie Martin attack error.
A LATE PUSH
RMU found itself on the ropes in the second set after a Nyssa Baker swing made it 23-14 in favor of the visitors. The Colonials had a quick answer on two Skyler Clements assisted rejections, but Mallory Ladd tallied a kill to give WSU set point at 24-16. The hosts found another burst however, starting with an Abby Ryan kill and Ladd error. Mirna Sarjanovic then joined the fun by burying a long dig, and Skylar Clements finished a Whitney Brown set to make it 24-20. Sarjanovic and Clements followed that up with a tandem block of Celia Powers, but the Raiders regrouped with a timeout and collected their own block to grab the middle frame, 25-21.
HIGH HONORS
Senior setter Whitney Brown nearly had her second double-double in as many nights, tallying 24 assists and nine digs. She also provided the Colonials' only service ace, while junior Nikolette Zanolli paced the hosts with 13 digs. On the visitors' side, Lainey Stephenson provided a match-best 32 assists and Jenna Story scooped 15 digs. Nyssa Baker recorded seven block assists as WSU registered 11.0 rejections as a team.
NEXT UP
RMU begins another four-match road swing on March 1-2 when it travels to Cleveland State. The Colonials and Vikings are set for a 6:00 p.m. start on Monday, March 1, and a 5:00 p.m. opening serve on Tuesday, March 2. Both matches can be seen on ESPN+.
Follow The Colonials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Gameday App
