MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – RMU volleyball dropped a pair of matches against Elon and Eastern Michigan on day one of the Chick-fil-A Pittsburgh Volleyball Classic at the UPMC Events Center.
ELON 3, ROBERT MORRIS 0
The Colonials opened the tournament with a 3-0 setback against Elon Friday morning, falling by set scores of 25-20, 28-26 and 25-18.
The Colonials (0-4) battled throughout the opening two sets, hitting .304 in the second frame and pushing the Phoenix (2-3) beyond the 25-point mark before Elon ultimately closed out the set, 28-26.
Natalie Stepanovich led the Colonials offensively with 11 kills, while Lauren Decker added 10 and Keira Hornung finished with nine. Stepanovich also recorded a pair of service aces.
Kenlee Barnard directed the RMU offense with 31 assists while adding 11 digs. Anahi Alvarado matched Barnard with 11 digs to lead the Colonials defensively.
RMU finished with 38 kills while hitting .170 as a team. The Colonials also recorded four service aces and four blocks.
Elon was paced by Cameron Lanier, who posted a match-high 16 kills, while Kayla Palmer recorded 24 assists. The Phoenix hit .264 as a team and held advantages in kills (46-38), blocks (7-4) and digs (43-38).
EASTERN MICHIGAN 3, ROBERT MORRIS 0
In the second match of the day, RMU battled Eastern Michigan throughout the opening set before falling to the Eagles, 3-0 (28-26, 25-19, 25-16).
The Colonials came out strong in the opening frame, trading points with Eastern Michigan before ultimately falling in extra points, 28-26. RMU held a late advantage before the Eagles closed out the set to take a 1-0 match lead.
Robert Morris continued to compete in the second set, recording 15 kills while hitting .152. The Colonials stayed within striking distance before Eastern Michigan pulled away late to take the set, 25-19.
The Eagles carried the momentum into the third set, hitting .321 as a team and closing out the match with a 25-16 victory.
Decker paced the Colonials offensively with 12 kills, while Hornung and Addyson Butts each added seven. Hornung also posted a team-best three blocks, while Tia Schultz finished with two blocks.
Barnard led the RMU offense with 32 assists and added eight digs. Alvarado led the Colonials defensively with 13 digs, while Stepanovich chipped in eight digs.
Eastern Michigan was led by freshman Haley Trosky, who recorded a match-high 15 kills while hitting .500. The Eagles finished the match hitting .204 as a team and held a 12-4 advantage in blocks.
Despite the setback, the Colonials finished with a 41-35 advantage in kills and battled through an opening set that extended beyond the 25-point mark.
UP NEXT
The Colonials will have a quick turnaround as they hit the Parkway tomorrow afternoon for a 3:00 p.m. matchup with Duquesne (5-0) at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh to wrap up the Chick-fil-A Pittsburgh Volleyball Classic.
