Box Score MOON TOWNSHIP, PA. – The Fairleigh Dickinson's women's volleyball team fell to Robert Morris in three sets, with scores of 25-22, 25-12, and 25-23, to open Northeast Conference play. With the win the Colonials improves to 2-13 overall and 1-0 in conference, and the Knights fall to 2-12 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
FDU would come out of the box strong starting the first match with a kill from freshman
Alex Lolland (Auburn, Calif./Del Oro), and a service ace from senior
Deborah Hong (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) to bring the score to a quick 3-0. Robert Morris would out score the Knights 9-4 with kills from FDU's Lolland and fellow classmates,
Carly O'Sullivan (Bogota, N.J./Bogota) and
Taylor Wyckoff (San Diego, Calif./Clairemont) bring the score to 9-7. The two teams would exchange the lead ten more times, until a ball handling error from the Knights would give the Colonials a 21-20 lead that they would not relinquish. FDU had a chance to come back on kills by Lolland and sophomore
Caroline Laton (Kinnelon, N.J./Kinnelon), but two kills from Robert Morris would seal the deal at 25-22.
The Knights would again jump out to an early 4-1 lead on kills from O'Sullivan and Laton, but a 8-1 point run would shift the momentum back to the Colonials as they take a commanding 10-5 lead. A kill from O'Sullivan would bring FDU within four points, the smallest margin of the set with the score at 10-6. Robert Morris would go on a tear taking ten of the next 15 points that were scored, bring the score to 20-11. The Colonials would close out the set on a 5-1 point run with three FDU errors.
The final set would have the Knights jumping out to another early lead, kills by senior
Hanifa Addi (Springdale, Md./Charles H. Flowers), Wyckoff and Lolland would propel them ahead 9-2. Robert Morris would come back taking the next 11 of 16 points scored, bringing the score to 14-13 with the Knights still holding onto the lead. Two kills from O'Sullivan would push FDU further ahead bringing the lead to 16-14. The Knights would continue to outscore the Colonials 3-2 with a kill from Wyckoff pushing the lead to 19-17. Robert Morris would make a push taking six of the next eight points scored giving it a 23-21 lead that it would not give up. FDU would get two more points in the set with a kill by Addi, but it wouldn't be enough as the Colonials win take the set 25-23.
Lolland would lead the offense for the Knights with 13 kills, followed closely by O'Sullivan who would record her fifth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 14 digs. At the net junior
Allison Butler (Plano, Texas/Plano) would have a team-leading 18 assists and 11 digs giving her, her second double-double on the season. On defense for FDU, Hong had a team-leading 19 digs.
The Knights continue Northeast Conference play this weekend, traveling to Loretto, Pa. on Sunday, Sept. 28 to take on Saint Francis U, with first serve slated at 1 p.m.
