Moon Township, Pa. – The RMU volleyball team concluded a three-match homestand at the UPMC Events Center Saturday, dropping a 3-1 decision to IUPUI. The Colonials dipped to 8-10 (.444) overall during the 2022 season, including 1-5 (.167) in the Horizon League.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Tied, 17-17, in the fourth set and RMU looking to force a fifth, the Colonials used a 5-2 spurt to grab a 22-19 edge. Junior outside hitter
Abby Ryan tied it with a kill, and fellow junior
Annie Monaco followed with consecutive slams to push RMU in front. The pair would each add kills later in the run, forcing the Jaguars to call timeout. Out of the break, IUPUI got consecutive kills from Morgan Ostrowski to pull within 22-21, forcing the Colonials to whistle for their own timeout. Briana Brown forced another stalemate, 22-22, with a kill, and after the two teams traded service errors, fifth-year
Alyssa Hudak took a feed from freshman
Kaitlyn Brown to give RMU a 24-23 edge. The Jaguars responded by scoring the next three points to seal the victory, buoyed by kills from Ostrowski and the clincher by Allie Pogue.
DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING
Senior libero
Allena Carmody continues to shine on the back line for the Colonials, and Saturday against the Jaguars was no exception. She posted a career-high 30 digs, including 10 alone in a fourth set that saw the lead change hands six times and feature 12 ties. Carmody's march to 1,000 career digs will continue during a four-match road swing that she will enter with 935 on her career, just 65 shy of becoming the 14th member of the RMU 1,000-Dig Club. Carmody has finished in double figures in digs in 17 of RMU's 18 matches during the 2022 campaign, including 16 consecutive after her performance against IUPUI (9-8 / 3-2 #HLVB). As a team Saturday, RMU accrued 76 digs, a season high against a league foe and its second highest total of the 2022 season, just six shy of the 82 the Colonials posted in a 3-1 win over North Alabama (9/9).
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
A total of 10 of RMU's 23 sets against #HLVB opposition have been decided by three points or less, including two more Saturday against the Jaguars. RMU dropped the opener, 25-22, after IUPUI scored the final three points of the set. The Colonials rebounded to tie the match in the second thanks to a 25-20 triumph, surging to an 8-4 lead thanks to back-to-back kills from Monaco and sophomore
Page Gross. The lead eventually swelled to 18-13 after one of Monaco's team-high 17 kills, and RMU sealed the win thanks to a spike from Ryan.
HERE YOU GO
Freshman
Kaitlyn Brown stepped up as the primary setter for the Colonials Saturday, handing out a career-high 38 assists and recording her third consecutive double-double and fifth of the year. She matched a personal best with 11 digs and also finished with a career-high five kills while recording a .308 hitting percentage. In addition to her team-high 17 kills, Monaco also posted 11 digs, notching her second straight double-double and matching Brown with the team lead for RMU with her fifth of the season. Ryan chipped in 14 kills and missed becoming the third member of the Colonials with a double-double by a dig.
UP NEXT
RMU opens a four-match road swing Friday, Oct. 7, with a 6:00 p.m. first serve against Youngstown State at the Beeghly Center. The Colonials will also visit Wright State (10/13) and Northern Kentucky (10/14) during their swing before concluding the road trip Tuesday, Oct. 18, at Cleveland State.
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