MOON TOWNSHIP– Fresh off sweeping Northern Kentucky on Saturday, the Robert Morris volleyball team opened a two-game series with the Cleveland State Vikings Thursday night.

The match went back and forth throughout the night. The Vikings won the first, fourth and the eventual tie-breaking fifth set, while the the Colonials won the second and third sets.

“Five set matches are always tough,” Colonials assistant coach Tilbe Yaglioglu said postagame. ” It shows that both teams are battling well. I think that’s what we did today. We battled really hard, but wasn’t enough. We will be back tomorrow and fight back. We either win or we learn.”

Viking outside hitter Liberty Torres led the game with 21 kills and Ella Mihacevich had 54 assists.

The Vikings improve to 15-6 on the season and are fourth in the conference with their sixth conference win.

“No team in the Horizon League is unbeatable. They are is just like any other team,” Yaglioglu said. “[Cleveland State] competes hard, they fight hard, but they’re not unbeatable either.”

Although in a losing effort, senior setter Ashleigh Wallin earned her 2,000th assist in her career. She became the ninth Colonial in program history to accomplish that feat.

“Being the setter coach and a setter myself in college, it’s very honoring to see how great she has done in her career so far. She’s a great setter, so I’m very happy to be able to witness that in her career.” Yaglioglu said.

Wallin had 20 assists in the match.

The Colonials and Vikings will rematch and look to split the series tomorrow evening at the UPMC Events Center at 5 p.m.