MATCHES 7-9
GEORGE MASON INVITATIONAL
Recreation Athletic Complex • Fairfax, Va.
 
Friday, Sept. 10, 2021  
RMU (4-2) vs. Coppin State (3-3) • 1:30 p.m.
RMU vs. Morgan State (0-8) • 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021
RMU vs. Marist (3-5) • 4:00 p.m.
 
Can You Dig It?
 
- The RMU volleyball team travels to Fairfax, Va., to take part in its third non-conference tournament of the 2021 season this weekend with three matches as part of the George Mason Invitational.
 
- The Colonials open the invite with consecutive matches, taking on Morgan State Friday, Sept. 10, at 1:30 p.m. before a 4:00 p.m. tilt with Morgan State. RMU will conclude the George Mason Invitational Saturday, Sept. 11, at 4:00 p.m. against Marist.
 
- In the 2021 RMU / Chick-Fil-A Robinson Labor Day Classic last weekend at the UPMC Events Center, the Colonials compiled a 1-2 (.333) mark. RMU dropped a pair of four-set matches in the first day of action before rebounding to earn a 3-2 triumph over crosstown rival Duquesne (9/4) in the final match of the tournament.
 
- Graduate student Alyson Londot was named to the 2021 RMU / Chick-Fil-A Robinson Labor Day Classic All-Tournament Team after compiling 31 kills, a .175 attack percentage, seven digs, three blocks and 33 points. She posted season highs in kills (12), points (13.5) and blocks (2) in the win over Duquesne.
 
- Fellow grad student Emma Granger posted a .329 attack percentage for the Colonials during their annual home tournament, finishing with a team-high 49.5 points to go along with 35 kills, 14 blocks and six service aces.  
 
- In the three matches of the RMU / Chick-Fil-A Robinson Labor Day Classic, sophomore Abby Ryan led the Colonials with 38 kills (2.92 per set) while scoring 44.5 points and racking up 26 digs. She enters the George Mason Invitational tops for RMU in kills (74) and digs (55) on the 2021 fall campaign.
 
- RMU enters the George Mason Invitational ranked fourth in the Horizon League in hitting percentage (.208), trailing only Milwaukee (.215), Oakland (.214) and Purdue Fort Wayne (.211). Defensively, the Colonials top the league in opponent hitting percentage (.168).
 
- Also atop the Horizon League leaderboard for RMU is service aces, as the Colonials are averaging 2.38 per set to pace the conference. RMU also ranks third in blocks with an average of 1.71 per set.
 
- In service aces, four Colonials rank among the top 10 individually in the category. Granger ranks third (0.54), followed by senior Nikolette Zanolli (0.47), who ranks sixth, and Ryan (0.43) and freshman Ally Christman (0.42), who place ninth and 10th, respectively.
 
- RMU will conclude the non-conference portion of its 2021 slate after taking part in the George Mason Invitational this weekend, traveling to Morgantown, W. Va., for the Mountaineer Invitational Thursday, Sept. 16, and Friday, Sept. 17.

GEORGE MASON INVITATIONAL LINKS
Tournament Central
Live Stats - Coppin State (9/10/21)
Live Stats - Morgan State (9/10/21)
Live Stats - Marist (9/11/21)
 
The All-Time Series – RMU owns a combined record of 26-3 (.897) against its three opponents this weekend in the George Mason Invitational, including 9-0 against Coppin State, 6-3 vs. Morgan State and 11-2 against Marist. The Colonials last faced Coppin State in 2017, earning a 3-0 win over the Eagles (9/2/17) at the A.J. Palumbo Center as part of the Duquesne Invitational. A year prior as part of the Maddie Bingaman Memorial Tournament on the campus of UMBC in Baltimore, Md., is when the Colonials last faced Morgan State (9/10/16), earning a 3-0 sweep. It's been over 13 years since RMU last matched up against Marist, earning a 3-1 triumph over the Red Foxes August 30, 2008, at the Charles L. Sewall Center as part of the Robert Morris / Duquesne Invitational.
 
Carmody's Grille – Junior Allena Carmody saw her most extended action of the 2021 season for the Colonials last weekend as part of the RMU / Chick-Fil-A Robinson Labor Day Classic and came up huge in a 3-2 victory over Duquesne (9/4/21). She played in all five sets and racked up a career-high 24 digs to pace the Colonials while also finishing with a trio of service aces, which tied a career best. Carmody owns 356 digs in 164 sets during her career, an average of 2.17 per set.
 
The Rookies – A pair of first-year Colonials also came up big for RMU in its five-set triumph over the Dukes, as Ally Christman and Ashleigh Wallin combined for seven service aces. Christman posted a team-high four and contributed 12 digs, while Wallin finished with three service aces while handing out a team-high 29 assists and compiling eight digs. Wallin is one of four Colonials to have played in all 24 sets for RMU during the 2021 season.
 
The Veterans – While graduate student Alyson Londot was named to the 2021 RMU / Chick-Fil-A Robinson Labor Day Classic All-Tournament Team, grad student Emma Granger continues to climb the ranks in a number of career categories in the RMU record book. Already the program career record holder for service aces (199), she is just one shy of becoming the first student-athlete in program history with 200 for her career. She is also four blocks away from cracking the top five at RMU in total blocks, as former Colonial Janette Schneider (2003-06) ranks fifth with 414. Granger also enters action this weekend ranked fourth in career attack percentage (.330) and ninth in kills (1,091).
 
The Ryan Express – Sophomore Abby Ryan has registered double digits in kills in four of her first six matches of the 2021 season, leading the Colonials three times during that stretch. Included in that was the first double-double of her career in a 3-2 victory over UMES (8/27) in the 2021 season opener with 20 kills and 12 digs. Ryan enters the George Mason Invitational this weekend ranked ninth in the Horizon League in per set averages in points (3.76) and service aces (0.43) and 10th in kills (3.22).

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