MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The RMU volleyball team (4-17, 2-8 HL) hits the road for a Horizon League matchup in DeKalb, Ill., as the Colonials are set to face Northern Illinois (7-13, 1-9 HL) on Friday and Saturday. The weekend series marks the first meeting between the Colonials and Huskies.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Oct. 30 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31 – 3 p.m.
SCOUTING NIU
New to the Horizon League this season, Northern Illinois enters the weekend with a 7-13 overall record and a 1-9 mark in conference play. The Huskies will look to defend Victor E. Court and snap a seven-match losing streak. At home, NIU owns a 2-6 record, earning victories over Portland State and UIC.
Most recently, the Huskies suffered a pair of setbacks against Youngstown State, falling 3-0 last Friday before dropping a 3-1 decision to the Penguins on Saturday.
Leading the NIU attack is Ava Grevengoed, who has recorded a team-high 201 kills while averaging 2.91 kills per set, which ranks 11th in the Horizon League. She also ranks second on the team with 180 digs, averaging 2.61 per set.
Kylie Schulze has directed the Huskies' offense with a team-high 350 assists, while Viktoria Djukic has added 326. Defensively, Charlotte Gramzow anchors the back row with a team-best 218 digs and an average of 3.35 per set.
RMU LATELY
The Colonials are coming off a 1-1 road weekend, highlighted by a five-set upset of second-place Northern Kentucky before falling to Wright State, 3-0, on Saturday. RMU enters the weekend at 4-17 overall and 2-8 in Horizon League play.
Against Northern Kentucky, RMU opened the match with a 25-19 victory before the Norse responded by taking the next two sets, 25-20 and 25-18. Facing a 2-1 deficit, the Colonials battled back to capture the fourth set, 25-23, before completing the road upset with a 15-13 victory in the decisive fifth frame.
Freshman Lauren Decker powered the RMU attack with a match-high 22 kills while adding 18 digs for a double-double. Layla Todd also recorded a double-double, finishing with 14 kills and a career-high 24 digs. Keira Hornung turned in an efficient performance with 11 kills on a .391 hitting percentage while adding a team-high eight blocks. Defensively, Anahi Alvarado anchored the back row with a match-high 34 digs.
Against Wright State, the Colonials battled the Raiders throughout the match before falling by set scores of 25-23, 25-16 and 25-23. Decker once again provided the offensive spark, registering a team-high 11 kills. Tia Schultz followed with 10 kills on 20 attacks, hitting a team-best .250 among Colonials with at least 10 attempts. Addyson Butts chipped in five kills, while Todd added four.
UP NEXT
The Colonials return to Moon Township for a one-match home stand against Cleveland State on Friday, Nov. 6, before traveling to Cleveland to face the Vikings again on Saturday. First serve for both matches is scheduled for 5 p.m.
