MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – RMU volleyball returns to action this weekend, traveling to Towson, Maryland, for the Tiger Invitational, hosted by Towson University at SECU Arena.
The Colonials will face a challenging three-match slate against Arkansas, Howard and host Towson as they continue the non-conference portion of their schedule.
RMU opens the tournament Friday, Sept. 11, with a pair of matches, facing Arkansas at 10 a.m. before returning to the court at 2:30 p.m. against Howard. The Colonials conclude the weekend Saturday, Sept. 12, taking on Towson at 4 p.m.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 11
10 a.m. – RMU vs. Arkansas
2:30 p.m. – RMU vs. Howard
Saturday, Sept. 12
4 p.m. – RMU at Towson
SCOUTING ARKANSAS
Arkansas enters the Tiger Invitational with a 4-2 record, with Friday marking the first meeting between the two programs.
The Razorbacks opened the season with three victories at the Razorback Invitational, defeating SIUE, 3-0, UTA, 3-0, and UTSA, 3-1. Arkansas then traveled to Tennessee for the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge, dropping matches to Rutgers, 3-0, and Maryland, 3-1. Most recently, the Razorbacks earned a 3-1 victory over Syracuse in the ACC/SEC Volleyball Challenge in New York.
Parker Duncan leads Arkansas offensively with 68 kills on the season, averaging 4.25 kills per set. Kiki Remensperger has directed the Razorbacks' offense with a team-best 211 assists, averaging 10.05 assists per set.
Defensively, Aleki Alexander leads Arkansas with 34 blocks, while Madi Benne anchors the back row with 57 digs.
SCOUTING HOWARD
Howard enters the weekend looking for its first win of the season after dropping its first six matches.
At the DMV Challenge, the Bison fell to Maryland, 3-0, and George Mason, 3-2, before being swept by Syracuse, Cornell and UAlbany at the Cornell Invitational. Most recently, Howard suffered another setback against American, falling in straight sets Tuesday night in Washington, D.C.
As a team, the Bison are hitting .166 and have recorded 222 kills on the season. Addison Buckner leads Howard with 66 kills, followed by Zenai Jethroe with 46. Sydnei Jones has directed the offense with a team-best 129 assists, helping the Bison average 10.3 assists per set.
Defensively, Jethroe leads Howard with 24.0 blocks, while Camryn Shelton has recorded a team-best 81 digs.
Friday's matchup will mark the 13th meeting between RMU and Howard, with the all-time series tied, 6-6. The Colonials enter the contest riding a six-match winning streak against the Bison. The teams last met in 2012, with RMU earning a 3-0 sweep in Baltimore.
SCOUTING TOWSON
Towson will defend its home court riding a four-match winning streak while holding a 4-2 overall record.
The Tigers opened the season with back-to-back losses at the Mizzou Invitational, falling to Idaho, 3-2, and Missouri, 3-0, before earning a 3-1 victory over Western Illinois. Towson then rattled off three consecutive wins, defeating Loyola, 3-1, Saint Peter's, 3-0, and Morgan State, 3-0.
The Tigers' offense has produced 312 kills while hitting .268 as a team and averaging 14.2 kills per set. Anna Rice leads Towson with 84 kills, while Kaitlyn Moran has directed the offense with a team-best 158 assists through six matches.
Defensively, Clara Vorel leads the Tigers with 24.0 blocks, while Megan Platt paces the back row with 76 digs.
Saturday's matchup will mark the sixth meeting between RMU and Towson, with the Tigers holding a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series. Towson has won the last two meetings, including the most recent matchup in 2011, when the Tigers earned a 3-0 sweep at home.
RMU LATELY
The Colonials continue the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 0-6 record after dropping three matches last weekend at the Chick-fil-A Pittsburgh Volleyball Classic.
RMU opened the tournament with a 3-0 loss to Elon Friday morning before falling to Eastern Michigan, 3-0, Friday night. The Colonials then traveled to downtown Pittsburgh for the second day of the tournament, dropping a 3-0 decision to Duquesne at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
Junior middle blocker Keira Hornung was selected to the Chick-fil-A Pittsburgh Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team following a strong weekend. Hornung totaled 20 kills, five blocks and three digs while hitting a team-best .341 throughout the tournament.
UP NEXT
RMU returns home to Moon Township next weekend to host the Natales Sporting Goods Invitational. The round-robin tournament features the Colonials, Siena and UMES.
