College Volleyball
Iona College 3, Rider University 1
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Match
LAWRENCEVILLE-The Rider University volleyball team lost a four-set Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match to Iona on Saturday at the Student Recreation Center on the Lawrenceville campus.
The Gaels won 25-13, 19-25, 25-19, 25-17.
"It was a scrappy, defensive match," said head coach Emily Ahlquist. "Both teams pushed each other into making a lot of mistakes and miss hits. That effort by both sides is what makes the sport fantastic but it also wasn't really pretty to watch."
For Rider (3-13, 1-4 MAAC), juniors Amanda Piccolini (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) and Katelyn Thompson (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills) each had a 'double-double'. Piccolini had 15 assists and 12 digs with Thompson compiling 15 digs and 11 kills.
"Katelyn and Amanda brought energy and executed the game plan," Ahlquist said. "We needed everyone to remember what the game plan was because when we executed it (set two), we were successful. We lost our focus at several key moments in the match."
Senior Brittany Hayes (Mitchellville, Md./Elizabeth Seton) also had 11 kills for the Broncs with senior Amy Jeary (Depew, N.Y./St. Mary's) compiling a team-high 25 digs.
Set one was all Iona as the Gaels scored the first six points and led 10-1. Rider cut the deficit to six (16-10) before Iona scored nine of the next 12 points to end the set.
Rider scored four of the first five points in the second set and eventually opened up a 9-2 lead. After Iona cut the deficit to three (12-9), the Broncs went on an 8-2 run, two kills by Thompson to take a 20-11 lead. Two kills by Hayes clinched the set by six for Rider to tie the match at one set each.
Iona recovered in set three, scoring 10 of the first 15 points to lead by five. Rider cut the Gael lead to four (14-10) but that was as close as the Broncs would get as Iona took a two sets to one lead.
Iona again started fast, scoring 11 of the first 16 points in set four before the Broncs rallied with seven of the next eight points to tie the set at 12 off of two kills by junior Kristy Love (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) who finished with three kills in the match.
The Gaels withstood the Bronc charge and scored 13 of the final 18 points of the set to clinch the match.
Iona (4-11, 1-4 MAAC) out-hit the Broncs .260 to .146.
The Gaels have won 17 of the 20 matches all-time against Rider. The Broncs last defeated Iona in 1999.
Iona had lost to Canisius, Niagara, Siena and Loyola before defeating Rider for its first MAAC win of the season. Rider, which defeated first-place Fairfield last week for its first conference win, have also lost Siena and Loyola, along with Manhattan. The two teams meet again in New Rochelle, New York on November 8.
Rider travels to Jersey City to face Saint Peter's in a MAAC match on Sunday. "Both teams are very defensive minded," Ahlquist said. "It will be a point for point battle." The Peahens defeated the Broncs 3-1 in Jersey City and 3-2 in Lawrenceville last season. This season, Saint Peter's is 2-3 in the MAAC, having defeated Manhattan and Niagara. The Peahens lost 3-0 against Loyola on Saturday.
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