ORLANDO - The RMU volleyball team dropped a pair of tough matches against Stony Brook and UCF to open up the Black and Gold Classic in Orlando on Friday night.
STONY BROOK
RMU opened the 2026 season with a strong showing against the Seawolves, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to force a decisive fifth set before Stony Brook held on for the victory.
SET 1: STONY BROOK 25, ROBERT MORRIS 22
The Colonials and Seawolves traded points early in the opening frame, with RMU taking a 5-4 advantage following a kill from Natalie Stepanovich. Stony Brook responded with a run to take control of the set before the Colonials battled back late. Lauren Decker provided a spark offensively, but the Seawolves held on to take the opening set, 25-22.
Stony Brook hit .348 in the frame, while RMU posted 13 kills and a .200 hitting percentage.
SET 2: ROBERT MORRIS 25, STONY BROOK 20
RMU answered immediately in the second set, as the Colonials jumped out to a 6-2 lead following a Stony Brook attack error. The RMU offense continued to stay hot, with a kill by Decker igniting a 4-0 run that put the Colonials ahead, 24-19.
Stepanovich sealed the set with a kill off an assist from Decker, giving RMU the 25-20 victory and evening the match at one set apiece.
The Colonials limited Stony Brook to just nine kills and forced the Seawolves into 11 attack errors, resulting in a -.040 hitting percentage. RMU finished the frame with 11 kills of its own.
SET 3: STONY BROOK 25, ROBERT MORRIS 21
The third set remained competitive throughout, with the match tied at 15-15 following a big 5-0 run by the Colonials. Stony Brook responded with a late push to reclaim the advantage and take the third set, 25-21.
RMU recorded 12 kills in the frame, while the Seawolves finished with 11 kills and committed just five errors.
SET 4: ROBERT MORRIS 25, STONY BROOK 17
The Colonials delivered their strongest offensive set of the afternoon. RMU registered 15 kills while hitting .278, its best attacking percentage of the match.
After the teams were tied at 17-17 following a Seawolves kill, the Colonials' offense exploded for its biggest run of the day, closing the set on an 8-0 run to cruise to a 25-17 victory and force a decisive fifth set.
SET 5: STONY BROOK 15, ROBERT MORRIS 12
Despite scoring the first two points of the deciding set, RMU saw Stony Brook respond with a 4-0 run to take a 4-2 lead. Another 3-0 run by the Seawolves put the Colonials behind, 8-4, before RMU clawed its way back into the set.
A kill by Keira Hornung tied the contest at 11-11, but Stony Brook closed out the set with a 4-1 run to secure the 15-12 victory and take the match, 3-2.
RMU finished with nine kills in the fifth set, while Stony Brook matched that total and hit .259.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Decker paced the Colonials with 18 kills in her collegiate debut, while Addyson Butts added 11 and Tia Schultz contributed 10. Kenlee Barnard directed the RMU offense with 50 assists and added 23 digs, while Anahi Alvarado led the defensive effort with 25 digs and three service aces. Hornung recorded a team-best six blocks.
UCF
Robert Morris battled Big 12 opponent UCF on Friday night, taking the Knights to four sets before ultimately falling, 3-1 (10-25, 12-25, 25-20, 21-25), at The Venue at UCF. The Colonials showed resilience after dropping the opening two sets, responding with a strong third-set performance to extend the match before UCF closed out the fourth set.
SET 1: UCF 25, ROBERT MORRIS 10
UCF established control early in the opening frame, building an early advantage before pulling away late. The Knights eventually closed the set on a 5-0 run to take the opener, 25-10.
UCF hit .500 as a team in the first set, recording 14 kills on 22 attempts with just three errors. RMU recorded six kills in the opening frame, with Layla Todd leading the way with two.
SET 2: UCF 25, ROBERT MORRIS 12
The Knights carried their momentum into the second set, opening with an early lead. RMU continued to battle, but UCF closed the set, 25-12, taking a 2-0 lead into the break.
RMU improved offensively in the second set, recording nine kills and hitting .103. UCF, however, continued to find success offensively, finishing the frame with 16 kills on 25 attacks and a .560 hitting percentage.
SET 3: ROBERT MORRIS 25, UCF 20
The Colonials responded from the opening serve in the third set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead behind a kill from Schultz, an UCF attack error and a service ace from Natalie Frost.
The Colonials continued to control the momentum, extending their lead to 15-11 on another Frost service ace before pushing ahead 20-14 following a Schultz kill and a UCF attack error. UCF attempted to mount a late comeback, trimming the deficit to 20-15 and eventually 24-20.
RMU wouldn't be denied, however, as the Colonials closed out the frame, 25-20, with Frost delivering the final kill to send the match to a fourth set.
SET 4: UCF 25, ROBERT MORRIS 21
The Golden Knights quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead to begin the fourth set before a kill by Schultz slowed down the damage. A 3-0 run by the Colonials, which featured two UCF attack errors and a Stepanovich kill, brought the Colonials within two, with the Golden Knights holding a slim 7-5 lead. UCF extended its lead to 16-9 following a 5-1 run.
RMU wouldn't go out quietly as the Colonials pieced together their biggest run of the match, rattling off six unanswered points to cut the Golden Knights' lead down to just three, with UCF leading 23-20.
An RMU attack error stopped the rally, followed by a kill from Abby Schomers to reach set point. After Frost answered with a kill to make it 24-21, Avah Armour delivered the final point for the Knights, giving UCF a 25-21 fourth-set victory and a 3-1 match win.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Natalie Stepanovich led RMU with eight kills, while Addyson Butts added six kills, three blocks and two service aces. Natalie Frost finished with five kills, three aces and a block. Kenlee Barnard directed the offense with 28 assists while also recording 10 digs. Anahi Alvarado led the Colonials defensively with 11 digs, while Stepanovich added eight.
As a team, RMU finished with 33 kills, six service aces and 43 digs. The Colonials hit .098 for the match. UCF was led by Avah Armour, who finished with 25 kills and 30 points, while Sasha Cohen added nine kills and a match-high 10 blocks.
The Colonials return to action Saturday as they close out play at the Black and Gold Classic against NC State at noon.
