MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – RMU volleyball closed its home-opening weekend with a hard-fought five-set loss to crosstown rival Duquesne at the UPMC Events Center. The Colonials now sit at 1-4 on the season and will look to bounce back next weekend at the Hokie Invitational hosted by Virginia Tech.
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KEY SET MOMENTS
• Both teams traded points early in the first set before Duquesne put together a 6-0 run to grab a 17-9 lead. RMU immediately responded with an 8-1 surge to pull within one at 18-17, but the Dukes held off the rally to take the opener, 25-22.
• RMU started strong in the second set with a 6-2 lead behind a pair of aces from
Azra Eric and
Isabelle Jackson. The Dukes answered with a 7-0 run and never looked back, hitting .640 in the frame compared to RMU's .040. A 10-0 burst sealed the set for Duquesne, 25-13.
• Set three featured momentum swings both ways. Trailing 16-12, RMU went on a 7-1 run sparked by three
Keira Hornung kills. With the score later at 21-20 Dukes,
Jocelyn Jourdan delivered back-to-back kills before a Duquesne error helped RMU edge out the set, 25-23.
• RMU kept its momentum rolling in the fourth, turning a slim 7-6 lead into an 18-7 advantage with an 11-1 run fueled by seven Duquesne errors. The Colonials cruised from there to a 25-13 victory, forcing a deciding fifth set.
• In the final frame, Duquesne jumped ahead 3-0, but Jourdan again came through with two kills to even things up. The Dukes answered with a run led by Emerson Schrom and held off late RMU kills from Jourdan, Eric, and
Hillarie Adams to clinch the match, 15-10.
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INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
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Jocelyn Jourdan led the way with 18 kills, one shy of her career-high.
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Azra Eric set a new career-best with 11 total blocks, surpassing her previous high of nine.
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Jasmine Purakal paced all players with 22 digs in the five-set battle.
• Freshman
Isabelle Jackson recorded two service aces and 17 assists.
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UP NEXT
RMU heads to Virginia Tech next weekend for the Hokie Invitational, where the Colonials will face Marshall, UMES, and the host Hokies on Friday and Saturday