Liberty University
1-0,0-0ASUN
Robert Morris
3-1,0-0Horizon
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIBERTY | 25 | 19 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Robert Morris | 21 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 1 |
Liberty Races to Season-Opening 3-1 Win at Robert Morris
9/3/2021 2:16:27 PM | Women's Volleyball
Liberty wrapped up a season-opening 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 25-15) win at Robert Morris, Friday at UPMC Events Center.
The Lady Flames (1-0) had their original season opener cancelled last Friday due to CoVID-19 concerns in ECU’s program. This morning’s match was the first contest of the 2021 RMU/Chick-fil-A Robinson Labor Day Volleyball Classic.
Robert Morris (3-1) sustained its first loss of the season after going 3-0 on opening weekend.
Head Coach Trevor Johnson
“I’m proud of our defensive intensity this morning. I thought we did a nice job of digging a lot of balls high and off to give Amaya a chance to set and run our offense. We served tough as well all match. They were out of system for most of the match which allowed our block defense to get set up. Raj had a great game with 18 kills and hit .300! She’s been working really hard all week! Good win! We got a little better this morning, which was the goal.”
Notable Numbers
• Liberty outhit RMU .230-.166 for the match, also leading 76-52 in digs. The Colonials led in aces (8-7) and blocks (6-4).
• Rajini Fitzmaurice led all players with a career-high 18 kills, adding 15 digs for her third career double-double. Trinity Watts totaled 13 kills, three aces and nine digs, while Amaya Williams posted 37 assists and 11 digs. Lindsey Hardesty collected a match-high 20 digs in her first collegiate match, while Aspen Thompson scored a career-high nine kills.
• Alyson Landot scored a team-high 10 kills for RMU, followed by Emma Brown’s nine kills. Jaidan Hockman and Emma Granger served up three aces each.
Match Summary
SET 1
• Liberty went on a decisive 9-2 run in the first set, building a 15-9 lead on the way to winning, 25-21. The Colonials served up six errors during set one.
SET 2
• Liberty appeared on the way to a 2-0 advantage when Lilly Kruse’s kill made it 17-12, Lady Flames. RMU bounced back, outscoring Liberty 13-2 down the stretch to win, 25-19.
• Robert Morris recorded five aces and three blocks in set two, with Granger serving up three aces.
SET 3
• The Lady Flames outscored RMU 5-2 over the last seven serves, taking the third set, 25-20, on Watts’ fifth kill of the session.
• Liberty hit .278 in set three, led by seven kills at a .545 pace from Fitzmaurice.
SET 4
• Liberty closed out the match, outhitting the Colonials .306-.135 during a 25-15 set-four win.
Quick Hits
• Liberty is now 3-0 all-time against Robert Morris in volleyball, with the last meeting before today being a 3-0 Lady Flames win on Nov. 7, 1992.
• This was Liberty’s first season-opening win since sweeping UNCG to open the 2015 season.
• Today was the latest in the calendar year that Liberty has started a season since a season-opening 3-1 setback to Mississippi State on Sept. 4, 1999 in Charlotte, N.C.
• Hardesty is the first Liberty freshman to start at libero in a season opener since Margaret Latchford, Aug. 26, 2016 against Pitt. That match against Pitt was also the last time before today that a true freshman (Kainah Williams) started the season opener at middle blocker.
• Fitzmaurice’s 18 kills are the most by a Lady Flame since Dec. 7, 2019 against La Salle, when Anna Gragg scored 19 kills. Her 18 kills are the most by a Liberty player in a season opener since Aug. 24, 2012, when Caroline Douglas scored 19 kills.
• Hardesty’s 20 digs are the most by a Liberty freshman in a season opener in Liberty’s rally-scoring era (beginning in 2001). Her 20 digs are the most by any Liberty player in a season opener since Margaret Latchford collected 23 digs against Indiana State on Aug. 24, 2018.
Up Next
The Lady Flames will take on Duquesne at 4 p.m. this afternoon to continue the RMU/Chick-fil-A Robinson Labor Day Volleyball Classic.
