College Volleyball
Loyola Maryland 3, Rider University 1
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Match
BALTIMORE, Md.--Junior Katelyn Thompson (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills) had 11 kills and nine digs with junior Elyse Grassmuck (San Antonio, Texas/La Vernia) adding 21 assists but it wasn't enough as the Rider University volleyball team lost in four sets to Loyola Maryland in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match Saturday afternoon.
The Greyhounds won 25-27, 25-17, 25-13, 25-20.
"It was a great match," said head coach Emily Ahlquist. "Both teams played excellent defense and has incredible court movement. It was fun and competitive. Katelyn did a great job, She was an offense threat and a defensive threat. She hit the ball well, had great shot selection and overall, just played really smart."
Also for Rider (3-25, 1-16 MAAC), junior Amanda Piccolini (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) had 13 assists with senior Amy Jeary (Depew, N.Y./St. Mary's) adding 10 digs. Jeary is the modern day Rider record holder in digs with 1,795.
"Both Amanda and Elyse needed to help the team out in different situations and they did a fantastic job of supporting each other," Ahlquist added. "All three of them have really come into their own and have taken on different leadership rolls."
Senior Brittany Hayes (Mitchellville, Md./Elizabeth Seton) had seven kills and four blocks, including two solo blocks with senior Alex Chapla (Aliquippa, Pa./Center Area) compiling seven kills and four blocks.
In the opening set, the teams came out even before Loyola broke a 10-10 tie with a 4-0 run to go up by four. Three kills by Thompson brought the set to a 17-17 tie. Tied at 22, freshman Stephanie Nagy (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) had a kill and a block to give Rider a two-point lead (24-22) before the Greyhounds used a 3-0 run to go up 25-24 and serve for the set. A kill by Thompson and a ball handling error by Loyola gave Rider a 26-25 lead with Chapla winning the set with a kill. There were 13 ties and five lead changes in the opening set.
"The first set was neck and neck, point for point," Ahlquist said. "We just capped it off at the end. Either team could have won it."
Set two saw the 'Hounds win the first five points and Loyola eventually opened up a 9-1 lead. Trailing 15-5, Rider got to within six (18-12) with a 7-3 run but could get no closer as the Broncs lost the set by eight.
A 9-3 run by Loyola broke a 2-2 tie in the third set and leading 15-11, the 'Hounds closed the set on a 10-2 run to win by 12, hitting .375.
Set four was more competitive. Trailing 5-4, Rider used an ace by Thompson (her second of the day) and a kill by Chapla to go up 7-5. Two kills by freshman Briana Wallace (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) sparked the Broncs to a 5-0 run and gave Rider a 12-6 lead. Wallace had four kills and two digs in the fourth set, her only action of the day. Loyola staged a rally, scoring 17 of the next 23 points, including a 7-0 run to end the set, winning by five to close out the match. The 'Hounds hit .367 in the final set.
Loyola won at Rider 3-1 on September 26 with the Broncs also winning the first set in that match. The 'Hounds lead the all-time series 22-7 with the last Rider win coming during the 2001 season.
The Broncs have lost 13 in a row and 19 of 20 matches with the only win coming against first-place Fairfield in a MAAC match on September 27 in Lawrenceville.
Rider concludes the 2009 season against Marist in Alumni Gym at 2:00pm Sunday, the final match in the career of seniors Alex Chapla (Aliquippa, Pa./Center Area), co-captain Tara Hansen (Beachwood/Toms River HS South), Brittany Hayes (Mitchellville, Md./Elizabeth Seton) and co-captain Amy Jeary (Depew, N.Y./St. Mary's). For Hayes, it will be her 114th consecutive match and she enters play having played in all 403 sets in her Bronc career.
"It will be sad to see the seniors go," Ahlquist said. "They have been a huge part of the program over the last four seasons and have done so much for us. I am also happy for them as they are now ready to move on and do great things in the world."
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