FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After Sacred Heart women's volleyball claimed the first two sets, Robert Morris battled back to force a fifth set, Friday evening at The Pitt Center. In the deciding set, the Pioneers held out for four set points before the Colonials landed an attack the Sacred Heart defense was unable to negate. The loss ends the Pioneers three-game win streak and places them at 4-5 in the NEC, while the Colonials have bested their last three opponents and sit at 6-4.

Liisel Nelis saw 22 of her attacks add points for the Pioneers, as no other player landed more, and registered 12 digs. Makayla Dole recorded 19 kills while posting 14 digs. Madi Pope (22), Megan Mondon (13) and Kiki Robinson (10) also put up double-figure digs. Robinson also dished out a game-leading 54 helpers. Rianna McNamee tallied 10 kills while raising for half of the Pioneers' six blocks.

For RMU, Maria Alfano (18), Emma Granger (13) and Taylor Lord (10) landed double-digit kills in part to the direction of Brianna Frakes who supplied 44 assists. Allie Yurkovich led her team with 16 digs while Frakes was one shy of her teammate. Granger totaled 10 blocks.

Records:

Sacred Heart – 10-12, 4-5 NEC

Robert Morris – 12-13, 6-4 NEC

First Set: SHU 25-23

• An error committed by Dole gave Robert Morris a four-point advantage early, 8-4.
• A McNamee kill from Robinson on the ensuing sequence capped a quick 3-0 rally by the Colonials, 8-5.
• On Mondon's serve, the Pioneers fired off nine unanswered points for a lead the Colonials would fail to fully combat in the opening set, 14-8.
• The Colonials would fight their way back cutting their deficit to just four on a successful attack by Alfano from Frakes, 23-19.
• The Pioneers would tack on another tally reaching set point, 24-19. However, RMU delayed the set victory, adding four points prior to the eventual 25-23 set win for the host.

Second Set: SHU 25-23

• The Pioneers caught momentum early in the second winning five of the set's first six points, 5-1.
• The defensive prowess near the net by RMU's Lord and Alfano kept the foe within one-point, 11-10.
• SHU's four-point lead at the 18-14 mark, capped by a point earned on Dole's behalf, would tab the largest advantage by any team for the duration of the set.
• Two Pioneer's miscues and a kill to the credit of Granger filled RMU's gap deadlocking things late at 23-up.
• Granger's attack turned out to be the last point earned for the visitors. McNamee's kill brought the Pioneers to set point and a Granger mistake would cast SHU the 2-0 advantage.

Third Set: RMU 25-22

• RMU turned the tide in the third never trailing despite Julia Murawinski landing one of her eight kills all match, knotting the score at three points apiece.
• Granger and Taylor challenged Murawinski at the net mounting the Colonials' largest lead at six, 14-8. That lead came back into fruition late, 20-16, as Alfano landed an attack.  
• Nelis sailed an attack beating the opposition to fill the SHU deficit to just two, 24-22.
• Unfortunately, an error by Dole would give RMU its first set win, 25-22.

Fourth Set: RMU 25-20

• Both teams played a competitive set enduring eight ties and four lead changes.
• A rejection by Kiley Ridgway and Nelis marked the set's final tie at 20-up. Unfortunately, that would double as the Pioneer's final point earned as the host was unable to slow RMU's five-point flurry to force the deciding set, 25-20.

Fifth Set: RMU 18-16

• In another back and forth affair, a forceful kill by Dole from Robinson postponed the RMU victory, 14-14, and both teams would trade the set's next five points.
• For the 17-16 line, a Nelis kill was stopped by Alyson Londot and Alfano.
• RMU took the following point on a kill from Londot for the match victory. 

The Pioneers will wrap up the home portion of their regular season tomorrow, Saturday, October 28. Before the 7:00 pm contest against Saint Francis U, the Sacred Heart women's volleyball seniors will be recognized.