Game Recap: wvball | Nov 17 1 Robert Morris 14-17, 8-6 NEC 3 LIU Brooklyn 19-9, 11-3 NEC Set Scores Team Wins 1 2 3 4 RECORDS LIU Brooklyn (3) 25 25 18 25 19-9, 11-3 NEC Robert Morris (1) 23 8 25 20 14-17, 8-6 NEC Box Score Full Schedule Roster Next Game: Central Connecticut State University 11/18/2017 - 3:00:00 PM Volleyball Advances To NEC Championship Game BROOKLYN, N.Y. --- LIU Brooklyn Volleyball's pursuit of its 11th Northeast Conference Tournament championship will continue after the top seeded Blackbirds earned a 3-1 (25-23, 25-8, 18-25, 25-20) victory over the No.4 seed Robert Morris Colonials in the NEC Tournament semifinals Friday evening at the Steinberg Wellness Center. The Blackbirds (19-9) will face either No. 2 seed Bryant or No. 3 seed Central Connecticut in the championship match scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 18. Robert Morris completed its season at 14-17. Newly minted All-NEC First Team selection Nina Petranovic logged a match-high 16 kills and added 11 digs for her 15th double-double of the year. Freshman Piper Matsumoto finished with her third double-double of the year, ending the night with a match-high 41 assists and an additional 13 digs. Sophomore Natalia Rivera led all players with 24 digs and All-NEC Second Team pick Filippa Hansson had a season-high nine total blocks (5 solo, 4 assists). LIU faced a strong Robert Morris push at the onset of the first set, finding themselves behind by as many as six (11-5) in the early goings. A Petranovic kill and a pair of Matsumoto aces pulled the Blackbirds to within three (11-8) but RMU countered with four unanswered points of their own to go back up seven (15-8). After the Colonials took a 16-11 lead, the Blackbirds shifted momentum with a 5-0 run that tied the set (16-16) for the first time since 2-2. The next six points would play even before LIU took a brief 20-19 lead. RMU regained their advantage and pushed it to 23-21 but the Blackbirds showed their championship mettle by converting the next four points with three kills and a set-sealing block from Azevedo and Krepper. Set two opened with both teams alternating points through the first eight ralles. RMU scored the first point of the set so LIU's points continued to tie the score. When the Blackbirds well able to string scores together, they did so in a big way. With Robert Morris leading 4-3, LIU went on a 7-0 run that gave the top seed a comfortable 10-4 edge. After the Colonials scored their fifth point, LIU outdid themselves by scoring the next 12 points to make the score 22-5. LIU would split the next six points to take the set and record their largest winning margin in a set all season (17 points). RMU refused to go away quietly in the third, forcing LIU into a timeout after taking a 9-6 lead. LIU worked to climb back into the set but the next 15 points went the same as the first 15, bringing the score to 18-12. The Blackbirds played the rest of the set close (7-6 in favor of RMU) but the Colonials proved to be too far ahead as they cut LIU's match lead to 2-1. The energy LIU played with to close the third manifested in the opening part of the fourth as the Blackbirds began the set by scoring the first three points and seven of the first ten. LIU stretched its lead to six points (13-7). The back-and-forth scoring over the next eight rallies kept the Blackbirds' lead between five and six points before LIU took its largest lead of the set at 19-12. Four straight and six of the next seven from RMU brought the Colonials back to striking distance (20-18) but three kills, a block and a RMU attack error ended the match and punched LIU's ticket to the NEC Championship. Players Mentioned Bio Filippa Hansson #16 MB 6' 2" So. Bio Natalia Rivera #4 L 5' 4" So. Bio Nina Petranovic #12 OH 6' 1" Jr. Bio Piper Matsumoto #1 S 5' 11" Fr.