“It was great to see this group of kids grow over the course of the season, and I am not quite ready to move on to the next,” head coach Dale Starr said following volleyball’s season finale.
The Robert Morris volleyball team (4-11, 4-11 Horizon) took to the court one last time in their first-ever season in the Horizon League as they took on defending league champion Northern Kentucky (9-4, 8-4).
The first half of the doubleheader was a dominant performance from the Colonials as they swept the Norse 3-0 in the first match, keeping the defending champions in a vice grip in the early stages. Maria Alfano had a heck of a performance as she led the Colonials with 12 kills in the first match and 16 in the second.
Along with Alfano’s dominant performance, her teammates Alyssa Hudak and Emma Granger had strong games as well.
“I loved playing with my teammates throughout the course of this season, and building a relationship with them was something special,” Alfano said.
The second match was a different story for Robert Morris, not finding as effective of an approach compared to the first match. They dropped the first two sets by scores of 25-22 and 25-21, respectively.
“We came out of the gates slow and couldn’t find the gas pedal anywhere, however, I loved the fight in this team and they never gave up throughout the course of this season,” Starr said.
The Colonials would fight to the very end of this one as they clawed to a victory in the third set by a score of 25-20, but, despite a furious comeback effort, lost in the final set of their season by a score of 25-18.
“Being with this team and never giving up in this tough season, I was happy to make it through the season with my teammates, and it’s been a fun ride,” Alfano said.
The Colonials had a rollercoaster ride this season in their first-ever season in the Horizon League. Coach Starr was overjoyed that the team made it throughout the whole season with no cancellations.
“We didn’t miss a single practice or game this season, these kids showed a lot of effort and sacrificed a lot this season,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud of every single one of these kids.”
Starr thanked the seniors for this contribution to the program and for helping to elevate it to the next level.
“I am thankful that the seniors put RMU on the map and allowed us to show that we can play some volleyball. Ultimately my favorite moment from this season was senior night,” Starr said. “That night, I let seniors who don’t normally play a whole lot play, and all their frustration and dedication came out on that night. I didn’t have to take out anyone and they showed what RMU volleyball was all about.”
Ultimately, it was a tough season for the Colonials but they showed they have a lot of heart.
Starr is looking forward to future success to come with the program graduating five seniors.
“Next season, [I think I will] take a step back and be more of a teacher,” he said. “We were a much older team this season, and next, we will have a lot of new faces, although I do not want to think about that yet. I still want to be in the moment with my seniors now.”
The Colonials went 4-12 and finish their inaugural Horizon League season tied for eighth with Green Bay, who the Colonials did not play in the regular season.
