Moon Township, Pa.- The Robert Morris Colonials volleyball team (7-12) had a conference battle against LIU Brooklyn (9-6) this past Saturday. RMU came into the matchup with a 1-3 conference record and LIU Brooklyn with a 5-0 conference record. LIU won the match and extended their NEC record to 6-0.

The first few points in the first set were shared back and forth until LIU came out with an 11-6 point lead, which is when RMU called their first time out. LIU extended that lead to 16-10 before the official called a yellow card on RMU’s head coach Dale Starr. RMU began to make a comeback after they brought the score to 19-14 when LIU called their second timeout. RMU started to come back and got within three points before LIU put the set away after a service error and an attack error by RMU. Whitney Brown managed 9 assists and Taylor Lord finished the set with 3 points.

The start of the second set started off with Coach Starr getting a yellow card after LIU scored the first point. RMU made a 7-3 run before LIU called their first timeout. LIU managed to come back from that deficit eventually tying the set 14-14 before RMU called a timeout after scoring another point. The latter half of the set was back and forth until LIU finished off the set allowing RMU 4 points finishing 25-22.

The third set began like the first with back and forth scoring until LIU called a timeout when they went down one point at 8-7. LIU eventually separated the scoring by pulling out to a 15-12 lead before RMU’s first called timeout of the set. Coach Starr challenged LIU’s 18th point to no avail, but in turn, the Colonials made a comeback to tie the set at 19 points and ran with it putting up six unanswered points to get their first set win of the match 25-19.

The fourth set started with LIU taking an 8-3 lead until Coach Starr challenged LIU’s 8th point to, yet again, no avail. LIU more or less took over in the set, but RMU held their own as they scored four unanswered points and brought the score to 16-13, RMU gained three more points trailing LIU 17-16 at the timeout. RMU then tied up the score 17-17. LIU started to put away the set after a challenge was reversed in LIU’s favor but RMU had other plans to keep the set tight, as they put up five consecutive points to make the score to 23-22 that included an ace by Emma Granger. That was, unfortunately, all RMU had, as they were defeated three sets to one.

RMU has two standout players tonight, Emma Granger and Whitney Brown. Granger finished with 19 points and 15 kills, along with two service aces. Brown had 42 assists and 7 1/2 points.

RMU drops to a 7-12 overall record and 1-4 in the NEC. They will take on Duquesne on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Pittsburgh.