RICHMOND, Va. - The Duquesne University volleyball team dropped the first of two matches this weekend at VCU on Friday night in four sets. 

The Dukes fall to 6-5 and 1-2 in conference play, while the Rams improve to 6-7 and 3-0 in A-10 action. 

Duquesne had three game leaders on the stat board with Carsyn Henschen charting 18 kills, Chloe Wilmot at 39 assists, and Jordan Robertson with six blocks. Henschen has now led the team in kills in all three A-10 matches this season.  

Morgan Gish posted her fifth double-double of the season and third straight with 10 kills and a career-high 16 digs. Madison Grimm led four Dukes with double-digit kills at 22, her second game with 20+ this season. 

After the teams traded three-point runs to open the match, VCU took control going up 12-5. The Dukes were unable to string more than two points in a row together the rest of set one and the Rams took it 25-17. 

A back-and-forth second game needed extra points to decide a winner. Duquesne had two chances to win it (24-23 and 25-24), but VCU sent the game to the win-by-two scenario. The Dukes fended off a set-point of their own and finished the set with three straight kills by Gish (28-26) to even the match at 1-1. Duquesne made eight blocks in the second frame helping propel them to victory. 

An early DU lead in the third set was wiped away by VCU with a 10-2 run to close out the frame 25-15. Duquesne battled in the fourth set, which was tied seven times including at 21. The Rams scored two straight to break the 21-21 tie and went on to set up match point at 24-23. The Dukes fought off one match point, but VCU persevered on the following rally to take the set and the match.

Over the last three sets there were a combined 21 ties and seven lead changes. Both teams hit under .200 in the match (VCU - .181 and DU – .119). The Rams had nine aces to the Dukes three. 

The teams will be right back in action tomorrow at 5 pm inside the Siegel Center. 

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