Box Score

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson women's volleyball team dropped a tough four-set match to Robert Morris Sunday afternoon at Stratis Arena 3-1. The clinching fourth set was won by the Colonials 30-28. With the victory, Robert Morris improves to 10-13 (6-2 NEC) on the season, while the Knights have now dropped four straight to fall to 7-14 (3-5 NEC) overall.

FDU found itself down quickly 2-0 in the opening set, but a service error and four straight points with redshirt junior Violeta Slabakova (Shelby Township, Mich./Utica) serving gave the Knights a 5-2 lead.

After the Colonials scored four of the next five points to tie the set at six, back-to-back kills by senior Meaghan Wheeler (Chatsworth, CA/Chaminade College Prep) and freshman Maddie Gibbons (Columbus, Ohio/Grandview Heights) gave FDU an 8-6 lead.

Robert Morris then answered with three straight points to take back the lead at 9-8, but it was the last lead they would have in the set as the Knights went on a 7-1 run to take a 15-10 advantage. Sophomore Hanifa Addi (Springdale, Md./Charles H. Flowers) started the run with a kill, and with sophomore Deborah Hong (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) serving, FDU scored the next five points on four attack errors and a bad set by the Colonials.

The visitors cut the deficit to 15-12, but three straight kills by freshman Alison Butler, Slabakova and Wheeler put the Knights ahead 18-12.

Robert Morris cut the lead back to four on three different occasions with the last time being at 20-16. A kill by Addi and two attack errors by the Colonials gave FDU a 23-16 lead.

After Robert Morris scored the next two points, an attack error by the Colonials and a kill by Gibbons gave the Knights the first set, 25-18.
In the second set, the score was tied early on until Robert Morris took a 7-5 lead. A kill by Slabakova and a service ace by junior Taylor Roland-Buohl (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) tied the set at seven.

FDU took the lead at 9-8 on an attack error, but the Colonials scored the next four to go up 12-9. The visitors then outscored the Knights 9-3 to take a commanding 21-12 lead and cruised to a second-set victory, 25-17.

With both teams splitting the first two sets, the third set saw both teams exchange points until the set was tied at six. A kill by freshman Jordon Collis (Frisco, TX/Frisco) triggered a 7-3 run to give FDU a 13-9 lead.

Robert Morris answered with a 4-1 run to cut the lead to 14-13, but a kill by Slabakova and an attack error gave the Knights the lead at 16-13.

The Colonials then answered with six straight points to take a 19-16 advantage. However, FDU fought back to cut the lead to one on four different occasions with the last time at 24-23, but Robert Morris closed out the third set with an attack error on the Knights and a kill by Lindsey Monger  to win 25-23.

The fourth and final set turned out to be the most exciting as FDU scored the first three points thanks to two Wheeler kills and eventually led 6-3.

Trailing 8-5, the Colonials scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 15-11 lead. The Knights then cut the lead to two twice, but once again fell behind by four at 18-14.

However, FDU was not dead as a kill by Gibbons started a 4-0 run to tie the set at 18. After Robert Morris scored the next three points, the Knights took advantage of two attack errors to cut the deficit to 21-20.

After the Colonials went back up three at 23-20, kills by Collis, Slabakova and Wheeler tied the set at 23.

Robert Morris then took one-point leads four different times with FDU tying them all four times. The Knights finally took the lead at 28-27 on a kill by Wheeler.

Serving for the set, FDU saw the Colonials tie the set at 28, and the visitors scored the final two points on a pair of attack errors to take the set, 30-28, and the match, 3-1.

Wheeler led the Knights with a double-double, which included a match-high 25 kills and 16 digs. Slabakova added 12 kills and five block assists. Hong tied match-high honors in digs with 20, while Roland-Buohl chipped in with 13. Butler dished out a match-high 46 assists and added seven digs.

Monger led Robert Morris with a double-double of a 19 kills and 17 digs. Hannah Hoffman also had a double-double with 44 assists and 10 digs. Amanda Craig added 15 kills, while Andrea Catucci, Erica Robb and Melissa Bograd added 20, 17 and 14 digs, respectively.

FDU will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 20 with a road conference match at Quinnipiac. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Hamden, Conn.