Kingston, RI. – The Duquesne volleyball team saw its comeback effort fall short Friday night, dropping a 3-2 decision to Rhode Island in Atlantic 10 action inside Keaney Gymnasium. With the loss, the Dukes fall to 12-7 (.632) overall and 3-5 (.375) in conference play.
DECISIVE SET
After dropping the opening two sets, Duquesne battled back to even the match at 2-2 and force a decisive fifth frame. The Dukes jumped out to an early 4-1 lead behind kills from three different players before the Rams responded with three consecutive points to knot the score at 4-4. A kill by freshman
Londyn Stone evened the set at 7-7, but Rhode Island answered with seven straight points to build a 14-7 advantage. Grace Keaney sealed the victory for the Rams with a kill. Rhode Island hit .333 in the deciding set while recording two aces and a pair of blocks.
GETTING ON TRACK
Duquesne struggled in the opening two sets, dropping the first frame, 25-22, and the second, 26-24, before responding with a strong third-set performance. The Dukes built an early 8-3 advantage behind three kills from senior
Jordan Robertson and two points from freshman
Simone Searles. Rhode Island trimmed the deficit to 13-9, but Duquesne answered with an 8-4 run to extend its lead to 21-13. During the stretch, Searles and junior
Emersen Schrom each recorded kills, while freshman
Londyn Stone and Schrom added service aces. Cara Richter briefly halted the Dukes' momentum for the Rams before senior
Chloe Wilmot and Searles delivered back-to-back kills. Two Rhode Island miscues helped Duquesne close out the set with a 25-15 victory.
PUSH IT TO FIVE
The Dukes carried their momentum into the fourth frame, overcoming a late Rhode Island rally to force a decisive fifth set. Duquesne jumped out to a 12-4 lead behind kills from freshmen
Simone Searles and junior
Emersen Schrom, while senior
Chloe Wilmot, freshman
Londyn Stone, Searles and senior
Delaney McIntosh each recorded a service ace during the stretch. The Rams answered with a point before the Dukes extended their advantage to 16-8. Rhode Island then surged with a 13-2 run to take a 21-18 lead late in the set. Duquesne responded with a 6-1 spurt to regain the advantage and reach set point. Schrom delivered a pair of kills, Searles and senior
Jordan Robertson teamed up for a block, and McIntosh added another ace during the rally. After a Rams point, Wilmot and Robertson teamed up for a match-saving rejection to seal the 25-23 set victory and even the match at 2-2.
BY THE NUMBERS
A trio of Dukes finished in double figures in kills, led by junior
Emersen Schrom, who recorded a team-high 16 kills to go along with five digs, five service aces and 1.5 blocks. Freshman
Simone Searles tallied her seventh double-double of the season, leading the team with 22 digs while adding 15 kills, one block and one ace. Freshman
Londyn Stone rounded out the trio with her fifth double-double of the year, recording 14 kills and 10 digs while notching a season-high four service aces.Senior
Chloe Wilmot paced the offense with her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 41 assists and 11 digs while adding three aces. Senior
Jordan Robertson anchored the net defensively, leading the Dukes with six total blocks.
UP NEXT
Duquesne concludes its series against Rhode Island on Saturday, Oct. 17, with first serve set for noon inside Keaney Gymnasium.
