MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – RMU volleyball battled back from a two-set deficit to force a decisive fifth set, but ultimately fell to Oakland, 3-2, on Friday night at the UPMC Events Center.
The Golden Grizzlies (7-12, 2-5 HL) secured the victory by set scores of 25-14, 25-23, 23-25, 22-25 and 15-10. With the loss, the Colonials move to 3-15 overall and 1-6 in Horizon League action.
DECKER DOES IT AGAIN
Freshman outside hitter Lauren Decker continued her impressive first season, posting a match-high 21 kills to go along with 14 digs for her eighth double-double of the campaign. Decker also added two block assists and two assists while finishing with a team-high 22 points.
Layla Todd turned in a strong all-around performance with 12 kills on a .258 hitting percentage while recording a career-high 16 digs. Todd's 12 kills ranked second on the team behind Decker.
Keira Hornung chipped in eight kills and five total blocks, including one solo rejection, while Addyson Butts finished with five kills and three block assists.
Setter Kenlee Barnard directed the RMU offense with 46 assists while adding 13 digs, five block assists and two service aces. Anahi Alvarado paced the Colonials defensively with 18 digs, while Natalie Stepanovich collected 12 digs and a pair of aces.
COLONIALS FIGHT BACK
Oakland jumped out in front with a 25-14 victory in the opening frame before RMU pushed the Golden Grizzlies to the limit in the second. The Colonials battled throughout the set but Oakland held on for a narrow 25-23 win to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Facing a must-win third set, RMU responded. The Colonials held Oakland to a .113 hitting percentage and captured a 25-23 victory to extend the match.
RMU carried that momentum into the fourth frame, limiting the Golden Grizzlies to just a .026 hitting percentage. The Colonials earned a 25-22 win to erase the two-set deficit and send the match to a decisive fifth.
Oakland found its offensive rhythm again in the final frame, recording 11 kills with just one error for a .526 hitting percentage. The Golden Grizzlies pulled away for a 15-10 victory to close out the five-set contest.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
RMU finished the night with 52 kills, 52 assists, 78 digs, nine total blocks and five service aces. The Colonials held Oakland to a .176 hitting percentage for the match and forced the Golden Grizzlies into 34 attacking errors.
Decker's 21 kills marked her latest 20-kill performance of the season, while Alvarado, Todd, Decker, Barnard and Stepanovich each reached double figures in digs.
UP NEXT
RMU and Oakland will return to the UPMC Events Center on Saturday, Oct. 17 to close out the Horizon League weekend series. First serve is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
