College Volleyball
Fairfield University 3, Rider University 0
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Match
LAWRENCEVILLE?Twenty one. Great if you are celebrating a birthday or maybe playing a little black jack. Not so good if you are playing a volleyball match. The Rider University volleyball team lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match to Fairfield Friday night losing all three sets by a 25-21 score. “Usually we're really good when we hit the 20 point mark,” said head coach Emily Ahlquist. “Tonight is really the first match all season that we weren't good when we hit the 20 point mark.”
For Rider (9-12, 2-9 MAAC), senior Lindsay Brant (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) compiled 12 digs and 11 kills, her sixth ?double-double of the season and third in four matches with sophomore Amanda Piccolini (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) adding 32 assists.
“Lindsay has done very well,” Ahlquist said. “She is providing key senior leadership. With some of our injuries, she has really picked up the slack.”
“Fairfield is a good team,” Ahlquist added. “They did not make mistakes when the match was on the line and we did. It was a good match, we just didn't finish as strong as we needed. We just made some crucial mistakes at the end.”
The 321 fans in attendance saw a match was closer than the score indicated with 31 ties and 13 lead changes. “The crowd was great,” Ahlquist added about the ?Code Cranberry' showing. “They picked us up at certain points. I hope they liked the effort and that they come back on Saturday.”
Code Cranberry is an athletic department initiative where student-athletes from other Rider teams are encouraged to attend the event of another sport in support of the 355 athletes, 20 sports but one Rider team slogan. Practice and travel schedules are altered to allow the Bronc teams not competing the same day to support each other with all of the student-athletes wearing a Code Cranberry shirt. “The crowd was great because it made the players want to make that extra effort,” Ahlquist added.
Trailing 12-9 in the opening set, Rider went on a 6-2 run to take a two point lead. With the Broncs leading 21-20, the Stags went on a 5-0 run to win the set by four. The set had 12 ties and six lead changes.
Set two started with seven ties on the first 18 plays before Rider used a 4-0 run to lead 13-9. A 10-4 run by the Stags gave Fairfield a two point lead (20-18) before Rider rallied with a 3-0 run to take a 21-20 lead. Another 5-0 run by the Stags clinched the set 25-21. The set saw 13 ties and four lead changes.
Rider led 12-8 in the third set before a 7-0 Fairfield run gave the Stags a three point lead. Trailing 18-14, Rider rallied with a 6-2 run to tie the set at 20, the sixth and final tie of the set. Fairfield ended the set on a 5-1 run to clinch the match.
Also for the Broncs sophomore Kristy Love (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) had 10 kills with senior Tara Hansen (Beachwood/Toms River South) celebrating her 21st birthday week with an eight dig effort.
Junior Amy Jeary (Depew, N.Y./St. Mary's) had 14 digs for Rider.
After playing the Stags twice, the Broncs face Manhattan for the first time this season in a MAAC match on Saturday at 2:00pm in Alumni Gym.
“It's unfortunate that you have to face the same team twice in one week,” said Ahlquist about having to see the Jaspers Saturday and again on November 2. “We also face Loyola eight days apart and you have no way to gauge your improvement facing the same teams that close together on the schedule.”
Rider and Fairfield also met on September 19 with the Stags winning 3-1 in Connecticut. Fairfield defeated Rider twice last season and own a 14-4 series lead, including the last seven in a row. The Broncs last defeated the Stags during the 2004 season.
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