Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University volleyball team opened play at the Chick-fil-A Robinson Classic on Friday, earning a sweep on the day, taking down Niagara 3-1 before defeating Coppin State in straight sets, 3-0. The Dukes improved to 4-1 (.800) on the season while winning its third consecutive match.

Game 1 vs. Niagara
Duquesne jumped out to an early 10-5 lead before the Purple Eagles ended set one on an 8-3 stint to capture the opening stanza, 25-23. The Dukes would respond in set two, collecting a 25-23 victory to even the match. Duquesne jumped out to a 9-4 lead, thanks to four straight service aces from freshman Emersen Schrom. Niagara responded with a 10-5 run while taking advantage of five Duquesne service errors to even the score at 14-all. After a successful swing by Schrom, the Purple Eagles netted five connective points to hold a 19-15 advantage. The Dukes didn't shy away as they carded 10 of the final 14 points to take the victory. Junior Ariel Helm tallied a pair of kills, one of them securing the win for DU. Duquesne's final five points came on kills from four different Dukes.

DOMINATING FINISH
In set three, Duquesne held an 18-10 advantage before Niagara strung together an 11-1 stint to hold a 21-19 lead. The Dukes rallied and knotted the score at 24-24, thanks to a pair of kills from graduate student Elizabeth Drelling and three service aces from Schrom. The two squads traded the next six points before a successful swing from Schrom and an attacking error by Niagara gave the Dukes a 29-27 win and a 2-1 match lead.

In the final set, it was all Duquesne as it mounted a staggering .615 hitting percentage behind 17 kills to take a 25-11 victory. The two teams traded the opening eight points before Duquesne registered a 15-3 stint which stretched its lead to 19-7. Junior Carsyn Henschen and sophomore Avery Hobson lead the charge with three kills each while Floyd collected a pair of points. Schrom, Helm, and sophomore Chloe Wilmot all found the floor successfully during the stint. Duquesne stretched its lead with three successful swings from sophomores Jordan Robertson and Avery Hobson before an attacking error secured the match for the Dukes.

INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
Duquesne was led by Emersen Schrom, who posted a season-best 17 kills, seven service aces, and a .314 hitting percentage. Her seven aces were just one shy of tying the record for most aces in a four-set match. Carsyn Henschen, Elizabeth Drelling, and Avery Hobson all carded nine kills while Hobson tallied 11 digs, 1.5 blocks, and one service ace. Chloe Wilmot registered her first assist/digs double-double of the season, posting a team-leading 26 assists and 11 digs while collecting four service aces. Graduate student Grace Kristofic recorded 20 assists and four digs while junior Madison Grimm totaled nine digs and three aces. As a team, the Dukes tallied 17 service aces, three shy of the program record in a four-set match.

Game 2 vs. Coppin State
It was a slow start for the Dukes as they trailed the Eagles 5-1 early in the set. Duquesne would respond with a 7-2 stint to claim an 8-7 advantage. Drelling led the charge with a pair of kills while Schrom posted a successful swing and an ace. The graduate student would continue the pace as her service ace sparked an 8-4 burst, giving the Dukes an 16-11 lead. The two teams traded the eight points before Duquesne took advantage of four Eagles attacking errors to claim a 25-17 win in the opening stanza. As a team, the Dukes registered seven blocks and three aces in the set.

BLOCK PARTY
Duquesne picked up right where it left off in the opening set, registering eight blocks in leading to a 25-21 victory in set two. The Dukes held an early 7-2 lead thanks to three kills from three different players and a pair of blocks from Floyd and Drelling. After a Coppin State timeout, the Eagle scored six of the next eight points to trim the deficit, 9-8. Later in the set, the Dukes mounted a 9-3 stint where Henschen and Schrom carded successful swings while DU collected three blocks during the run. Coppin State would trim the deficit with a 7-2 burst before Duquesne scored five of the final eight points to take the set. Drelling collected a pair of kills while Schrom and Hobson registered points.

INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
After completing the sweep with a 26-24 victory, the Dukes were led by Schrom, who finished with 12 kills, two service aces, and one total block. Drelling sat second on the team with nine kills and a .368 hitting percentage to go along with five digs and one ace. Floyd registered six successful swings on a .417 hitting percentage while leading the team with 4.5 total blocks. Wilmot controlled the offense with 18 assists and six digs while Kristofic finished with 12 assists and seven digs. Grimm and Hobson each collected seven digs while Helm tallied five kills and two rejections.

UP NEXT
Duquesne returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 7, when it hosts Robert Morris to conclude the Chick-fil-A Robinson Classic with the opening serve scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

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