FLASH POINTS: 

• Emily Pieper (Paonia, Colo./Paonia) had a career-best 13 kills in the match
• Emily Marcinowski (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) led all attackers with 16 kills
• Kelsey Roush (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) reached double digits for the 10th time in 11 matches with 13 kills
• Jenna Veres (Independence, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) recorded 34 digs while RMU's Alyson Londot had 30

LORETTO, PA- In a back-and-forth battle, Robert Morris outlasted the Red Flash in four sets on Friday night, 25-19, 16-25, 23-25, 22-25 in the conference opener for both teams. 

The Red Flash were led by a trio of attackers who finished in double digits for kills as Emily Marcinowski (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) (16), Emily Pieper (Paonia, Colo./Paonia) (13) and Kelsey Roush (Johnstown, Pa./Richland) (13) paced the offense. Roush completed the double-double with 21 digs for the Red Flash. 

TURNING POINTS

• With the match tied at one set each, and 19-19 in the third set, RMU scored five-straight points.
• In the fourth set, SFU stormed back to take a 20-16 lead but RMU responded with seven-straight points to take the set and the match

FIRST SET RECAP

• The Red Flash broke open a tight first set by winning six of seven points to go up 12-7
• The SFU defense recorded a pair of blocks and forced RMU to hit.051 in the set
• Saint Francis withstood an RMU rally as the Colonials cut the lead to 17-15
• A Sophia Esposito (Coraopolis, PA/Montour (Gardner-Webb)) and Emily Pieper (Paonia, Colo./Paonia) block stopped the rally
• Back-to-Back Roush kills put the set on ice for the Red Flash 
• A Christa White (Rochester, N.Y./Spencerport) ace gave SFU the first set win

SECOND SET RECAP

• Robert Morris got off to the quick start in the second, scoring six of the first seven points to force a Red Flash timeout
• The Flash built a bit of momentum on an Emily Marcinowski (Strongsville, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) ace and a kill from Sophia Esposito (Coraopolis, PA/Montour (Gardner-Webb))
• In a reversal of fortunes, RMU held Saint Francis to a .038 hitting percentage in the second
• The Colonials never let the Red Flash to get within four after the early surge
• A RMU block closed the set at 25-16 to tie the match at a set each

THIRD SET RECAP

• The third set was a tight, back-and-forth affair that saw nine ties
• SFU erased an early three-point deficit with an 8-4 run, fueled by a pair of Pieper kills
• Another Pieper kill forced the fourth of five lead changes in the set as SFU took a 15-14 lead
• With the set tied at 19, the Colonials reeled off five-straight points, helped by a pair of Emma Granger kills
• Down 24-19, SFU rallied to win four-straight points, thanks in part to a pair of Alexis Lambert (McKinney, Tx./McKinney-Boyd) blocks
• With the score 24-23, the Colonials got another Granger kill to take the set

FOURTH SET RECAP

• The Colonials again jumped out of the gate, winning five of the first six points of the set, prompting an SFU timeout
• RMU built an 11-3 lead before SFU came storming back
• A 12-3 run by the Flash tied the set at 15
• Ceceilia Esposito was a big factor in the run, ripping two kills and recorded a pair of blocks
• SFU built a 20-16 lead, again paced by Esposito, who finished the fourth set with five total kills
• After an RMU timeout, the Colonials ripped off seven-straight points, Maria Alfano had two kills and a block
• The Red Flash got back to within two on a pair of occasions, but could get no closer after the run
• The Colonials closed out the set and the match on a kill to win the fourth 25-22

LOOKING AHEAD
The Red Flash stay at home for the second week on Northeast Conference play as they welcome in Fairleigh Dickinson and Sacred Heart to DeGol Arena. The Knights are up first, with a 7 p.m. first serve set from Loretto.