MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Colonials (0-8) dropped a pair of matches on day one of the Tiger Invitational Friday, falling 3-0 to Arkansas before suffering a five-set heartbreaker against Howard in the evening.
ARKANSAS 3, RMU 0
RMU volleyball battled SEC member Arkansas Friday morning at SECU Arena, but the Colonials fell to the Razorbacks, 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-23), at the Tiger Invitational.
The Colonials put together their strongest push in the third set, matching Arkansas with 12 kills while keeping the frame close throughout. RMU fought until the final points before the Razorbacks closed out the match to improve to 5-2 on the season, while the Colonials fell to 0-7.
Layla Todd paced the Colonials offensively with 12 kills and 11 digs. Lauren Decker followed with nine kills, while Keira Hornung and Addyson Butts each added two kills.
Kenlee Barnard directed the RMU offense with 16 assists, while Isabelle Jackson contributed five assists. Maddie Siphakongviseth led the defensive effort with a match-high 17 digs, while Todd added 11 and Decker finished with seven.
At the net, Butts led the Colonials with four blocks, while Tia Schultz recorded two. RMU also finished with four service aces, with Butts, Todd, Decker and Cat Smith each recording one.
Arkansas was led by Laci Bohannan, who recorded 13 kills, while Journey Peppers added eight kills and a match-high five blocks. The Razorbacks hit .252 as a team compared to RMU's .049 and finished with a 39-26 advantage in kills.
HOWARD 3, RMU 2
RMU battled back from an early deficit and pushed Howard to the limit Friday evening, but the Colonials ultimately fell to the Bison, 3-2, at SECU Arena.
RMU dropped the opening set, 25-23, before responding with a 25-18 victory in the second. The Colonials carried that momentum into the third, earning a 25-19 win to take a 2-1 match lead.
Howard answered in the fourth set, 25-23, to force a decisive fifth set. The Bison edged the Colonials, 15-13, to secure the five-set victory.
Todd paced the Colonials offensively with a career-best 18 kills. Decker finished with 13 kills and a team-high 22 digs, while Hornung added 10 kills on a .286 hitting percentage.
Barnard orchestrated the RMU offense with 44 assists and added a team-high seven service aces, while also recording seven digs.
At the net, Hornung led the Colonials with eight blocks, while Schultz and Todd each added five. Anahi Alvarado contributed 14 digs and two service aces, while Siphakongviseth chipped in 15 digs.
As a team, RMU recorded 52 kills, 12 service aces and 13 total blocks. The Colonials held a 12-6 advantage in aces, while Howard finished with a narrow 54-52 edge in kills.
The Colonials return to action Saturday afternoon against host Towson at 4 p.m. The match will stream live on FloSports.
