The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Robert Morris
Volleyball wins three set battle with Robert Morris
September 16 | Women's Volleyball
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AKRON, Ohio -- Three Zips recorded double-digit kills and Ashley Holder posted her fourth double-double of the season as Akron pulled out a gritty three set victory over Robert Morris Tuesday night at James A. Rhodes Arena (25-23, 27-25, 25-22).
The win puts Akron back above .500 with a 6-5 overall record, while Robert Morris slides to 1-10 on the year.
Amanda Bedell led a three-tiered offense for UA with a match-high 12 kills, supported by 10 kills apiece from Jessica Kloehn and Anna Wenger. Kloehn's effort off the bench yielded a .571 clip after she committed just two errors in 14 swings. The redshirt freshman also added two digs and two block-assists.
Holder and Karley Kusan split time at setter, putting up 15 and 17 assists, respectively. Holder added 14 digs, tying a match-high mark.
Defensively, Akron had six players chip in four or more digs for the match, helping the Blue and Gold out-dig RMU by a 56-45 margin.
The Zips never trailed in the first set, jumping out to a 3-0 lead on kills from Bedell and Wenger. Mary Delich scored with two kills in three plays midway through the period, helping Akron secure four-straight points and build a 17-12 advantage.
Robert Morris would eventually fight back to tie the score at 23-all, but back-to-back kills at the hands of Dragana Micic were enough to give the first set to Akron.
The second set was the most hotly contested, despite RMU building a quick 4-0 lead to start. The score would tie eight times before the Colonials worked their way to set point and called a timeout with Akron trailing, 24-19. The Zips returned to the floor on a mission, firing back with five unanswered points behind the serve of Holder and knotting things up again at 24.
After holding off another set point from RMU, the Zips took advantage of a Robert Morris error and executed a one-two punch from Wenger and Delich to complete the comeback.
The Zips chipped away at another early lead by Robert Morris in the third set, but when it looked like Akron had the match locked up, the Colonials nearly turned the tables. UA converted on its fourth match-point attempt on a kill from Wenger to put an end to RMU's rally and improve to 4-1 at the JAR.
Akron faces a quick turnaround, heading to New Brunswick, N.J. for its final non-conference tournament of the season Sept. 19-20. The Zips are set to face tournament host Rutgers (12 p.m. ET) and James Madison (5 p.m.) on Friday, and Princeton (10 a.m.) and American (3 p.m.) on Saturday.
