Highland Heights, Ky. – The RMU volleyball team traveled to Highland Heights, Kentucky on Tuesday night, dropping a 3-1 match to the Norse in conference play at Regents Hall Arena.
With the slip, the Colonials fall to 5-16 overall, with a 2-8 mark in league action. Meanwhile, Northern Kentucky improved to 12-9 this season behind a 7-3 record in Horizon League play.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Between 35 total ties and 15 lead changes, the two squads traded runs all evening long. In the opening stanza, RMU jumped out to an early 4-3 lead before scoring eight of the next 12 points to hold a 12-7 advantage. Graduate student
Rosina Esposito paced the surge with a pair of kills while senior
Emma Brown and freshman
Natalie Stepanovich each collected a point. After trading the next eight scores, Northern Kentucky trimmed the Colonial lead 21-17. Stepanovich would recorded two successful swings out of the next four points scored before the Norse registered six consecutive points to take an early match advantage
REGROUP & RECOVER
Northern Kentucky would continue its momentum, posting 16 kills and taking advantage of RMUs stagnant attack to secure a 2-0 match lead. In the third frame, the Colonials turned it around as both traded the opening eight points of the set. Later in the stanza, the Norse took a 12-9 advantage before RMU mounted a 7-2 surge to claim the lead, 16-14. Junior
Abby Powers sparked the run with a kill before classmate
Ashleigh Wallin tallied a service ace. Northern Kentucky countered with four-straight scores to reclaim the lead before the Colonials netted four of the next six points to knot the score 20-20. Sophomore
Hillarie Adams recorded two points while powers and junior
Ally Christman each found the floor successfully. After trading the next six points to be tied at 23-all, Brown and Adams registered back-to-back kills to secure a set three victory for RMU.
BATTLE OF RUNS
It was a collection of spurts in the fourth frame as there were 11 ties and four lead changes. The two squads swamped the first 12 points of the set before RMU collected six consecutive scores to hold a 12-6 advantage. Freshman
Azra Eric started the run with a successful swing before
Jaidan Hockman tallied an ace and a kill to cap the stint. The Norse trimmed the deficit by scoring four of the next five points before using a 6-3 run to tie the set, 16-16. Each team collected four points, led by Powers with a pair of kills before Northern Kentucky mounted a 5-3 surge to secure the match, 25-23.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Posting her 10
th double-double of the campaign, Stepanovich led RMU with a team-high 18 digs and 11 kills, with one ace. Brown registered a team-best .391 attacking percentage while collecting 10 kills and one dig. Adams was the third Colonial in double-figures, ending with 10 kills and eight digs while Eric carded five successful swings, two digs, and a pair of blocks. Wallin controlled the offense with 22 assists and five digs while tallying three aces on the night. Graduate student
Allena Carmody totaled 16 digs and two assists while Hockman recorded 10 digs, one kill, one assist, and one service ace.
UP NEXT
RMU returns back to Moon Township as it hosts a pair of league matches, welcoming Oakland on Friday, Oct. 20, before battling Cleveland State on Saturday, Oct. 21.
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