MOON TOWNSHIP– The Robert Morris volleyball team (6-0) looks to continue their dominant start to the season against their rival, the Duquesne Dukes (2-4) when they visit the UPMC Events Center on Tuesday.

Recapping RMU

The Colonials come home after a road trip to Kent, Ohio, where they swept their matches at the Golden Flashes Classic. The Colonials led off the tourney with a dominant win over Idaho State before winning both games 3-1 in a tough back-to-back against Valparaiso and Kent State. They look to continue pushing their home-court advantage as they are 3-0 so far in the new UPMC Events Center.

Scouting Duquesne

The Dukes come into this matchup on a 4-game losing streak after they dropped their three games in the Champyinz Volleyball Invitational in Pittsburgh. They lost a tight one against Green Bay, before being routed against Ohio State and no. 10 ranked Pitt. Their roster features a good mix of upper and lowerclassmen, though they have struggled to put their game together over the past few.

Players to Watch

Emma Granger (RMU)

At 6’4″, junior middle blocker Emma Granger uses her height to her advantage as she looks to continue a strong season on both offense and defense. She played very well in the three games at Kent, with 23 blocks over that span. She has also put up double-digit kills in her past two matches. Look for her to have a big game as she carries some momentum into this one.

Liz Wayne (Duquesne)

A middle hitter, the senior Duke from Colorado has had a good start to her season. While she struggled against Pitt and Ohio State, she put up a season-high 18 kills against Green Bay. She looks to get back to form against RMU, as she also leads the team in points.

Prediction

On paper, this looks like an easy victory for the Colonials but that does not mean that they should underestimate Duquesne. They will be motivated to turn things around against a rival and look to jump on RMU if they play lackadaisical at the start. Still, RMU has all of the momentum coming into the matchup, as well as home-court advantage before they head off on another road trip. I expect the Colonials to handle the Dukes in this one; a 3-1 victory for RMU.