College Volleyball - Great 8 Volleyball Challenge
Kennesaw State 3, Rider University 1
Alabama A&M 3, Rider University 1
Rider's Grassmuck All-Tournament
KENNESAW, Ga.--The Rider University volleyball team was swept on Saturday on the final day of the Great 8 Volleyball Challenge, hosted by Kennesaw State.
In the first match against the host Owls, the Broncs lost 25-22, 25-17, 20-25, 25-12 and in the nightcap, Rider lost to Alabama A&M 25-14, 25-15, 22-25, 25-22.
"It was a good weekend, despite the 0-3 result," said head coach Emily Ahlquist. "We played some good, fast teams and that experience is going to help us when we get into the conference schedule. We made improvement from last weekend and that was the goal. We are heading in the right direction, having experienced different styles of play. The team is getting more comfortable with each other especially with three freshmen on the floor during a lot of the play."
For Rider (1-6), junior setter Elyse Grassmuck (San Antonio, Texas/La Vernia) averaged 4.6 assists and 1.8 digs per set and was named to the all-tournament team.
"Elyse played multiple positions for us this weekend," said Ahlquist. "She is a very versatile player and is a competitor. She wants to compete as hard as she can and will do anything for the team."
This is the second weekend in a row that Grassmuck was named to an all-tournament team. Last weekend at the Tribe Invitational hosted by William and Mary, Grassmuck averaged 3.8 assists, 2.0 digs and 1.1 kills per set. As a freshman, Grassmuck was an all-tournament honoree at the Temple Invitational with 43 assists, 22 kills, 34 digs and five blocks.
Tied at one in the opening set against KSU (4-1), the Owls went on a 9-4 run to open up a five-point lead at 10-5. Rider rallied to get to within three before a service error ended the first set.
Trailing 10-6 in the second set, the Broncs went on a 7-3 run to tie the score at 13. KSU responded with an 8-2 run and ended the set on a 3-0 run for an eight point win.
Set three saw 14 ties before Rider used a late 6-1 run, including three KSU attack errors to turn a 19-19 set into a five-point win and force a fourth set.
Set four was all Owls as KSU broke out to a 10-4 lead and won seven of the last nine points to win the set by 13.
"Kennesaw was fast and strong," Ahlquist added. "We kept pace with them and they were surprised I think, that we took a set off them. We played steady and our ball control got a little shaky in the second match against A&M but we got that back and we pushed from there. They were pretty good teams to play against."
Against Alabama A&M (1-6), a 21-10 run broke a 4-4 tie in the opening set.
The second set saw the Bulldogs jump out winning seven of the first nine points and after the Broncs got to within three at 14-11, finish the set with an 11-4 run.
Rider took set three after recovering from an early 4-0 deficit. Trailing 14-10, the Broncs took an 18-17 lead, winning eight of 11 points, two kills by freshman Briana Wallace (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa). Wallace had eight kills in the match and 16 kills on the day. Trailing 22-20, the Broncs clinched the set with a 5-0 run, two kills by senior Alex Chapla (Aliquippa, Pa./Center Area). Chapla had six kills and eight digs against the Bulldogs.
Alabama A&M took the fourth set to clinch the match. Tied at 21, the second tie of the set, the Bulldogs won the last four of five points. Rider had rallied from a 16-10 deficit with a 7-1 run, two kills by senior Brittany Hayes (Mitchellville, Md./Elizabeth Seton). Hayes had 15 kills, four service aces and six blocks in the two matches on Saturday.
Senior captain Amy Jeary (Depew, N.Y./St. Mary's) had 21 digs in the two matches and now has 1,480 digs in her Bronc career, third highest all-time.
"Amy is a very steady defender," said Ahlquist. "She hunts down the ball wherever it is on the floor and our opponents spend a lot of the time trying to hit it away from her."
Junior Katelyn Thompson (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills) added 13 kills and eight digs for Rider.
"Traveling and seeing Atlanta was a great experience," Ahlquist added. "This is a really good group to travel with and they really enjoyed the trip."
The Broncs host La Salle in the 2009 home opener at 6:00pm on Tuesday in Alumni Gym.
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