BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- In a battle of two of the top teams in the Northeast Conference, the LIU Brooklyn volleyball team pulled out a five-set victory (26-24, 25-23, 21-25, 23-25, 15-13) over the Robert Morris Colonials Friday evening at the Steinberg Wellness Center.

Three players reached double figures in kills, led by junior Viktoria Fink's 20 kills. Fink also recorded another double-double with 14 digs. Redshirt sophomore Julia Azevedo added 14 kills and sophomore Katharina Krepper chipped in 11. Sophomore Amanda Hubbard led the team in assists with 38 while fellow second-year Natalia Rivera had a match-high 26 digs.

LIU (10-7, 3-1 NEC) showed its toughness by taking the first set despite trailing for most of the period. Robert Morris (9-10, 3-1 NEC) opened the match with a 5-1 run and kept a five-point edge after a service ace against LIU made the score 11-6. The Blackbirds chipped away at the lead and tied the set at 15-15 on a Colonial attack error. RMU would take a timeout and take the next three points to go up 18-15 before a 4-1 burst tied the set again and LIU's next point gave the hosts its first lead (20-19) since scoring the first point of the match. Four more ties would take place before a service ace by sophomore Emily Magee and a kill by Hansson sealed the set for the hosts.

The next set followed much of the same script as the previous one. Robert Morris led from the start and went ahead by as many as four (9-5) early on. LIU would put up eight of the next 12 points to tie the set for the first time at 13-13. From that point on, the set would see on every point until an Azevedo kill knotted the score at 23-23 and put one of three straight set closing points on the board.

The Colonials were able to make their leads stick in the next two sets as they drew even with the Blackbirds. On two instances in the third, LIU bounced back from deficits to tie the match twice: from a quick 5-2 disadvantage (tied 6-6 and 7-7) and after falling behind, 14-10 (tied 16-16 and 17-17). After the final stalemate, Robert Morris outscored LIU 8-4 down the stretch to take the set.

Set four saw the most lead changes since the first set (four) and ties from 19-19 to 23-23 after the Blackbirds rallied from as many as five points back (13-9). A pair of kills by RMU's Taylor Lord ended LIU's momentum and sent the match to a deciding set.

The fifth set saw a couple of ties but in the end, the Blackbirds proved to be too much on their home floor. LIU led the bulk of the set and scored three of the last four points to clinch the match.

NEXT UP

LIU will complete the weekend with a 4 p.m. match against Saint Francis U. on Saturday, October 7.