College Volleyball
La Salle University 3, Rider University 0
PHILADELPHIA, Pa.--The Rider University volleyball team opened the 2010 season with a non-conference loss at La Salle Tuesday evening at Tom Gola Arena.
The Explorers defeated the Broncs 25-16, 25-21, 25-23.
"It was the first match of the season and you could tell," said head coach Emily Ahlquist, in her 12th season as head coach. "I am very disappointed with the lack of leadership on the floor, especially with so many upperclassmen in the lineup."
For Rider (0-1), senior Katelyn Thompson (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills) had 12 digs and five kills with senior Elyse Grassmuck (San Antonio, Texas/La Vernia) adding 17 digs.
Tied at five in the opening set, La Salle (1-3) went on a 4-0 run and leading 17-13, used another 4-0 run to win the set by nine.
Tied at two in set two, the Broncs used a service ace from Grassmuck and a kill from freshman Megan Knott (West Caldwell/James Caldwell) to take a 4-2 lead before the Explorers rallied with a 5-1 run. Grassmuck had three of Rider's four aces in the match with Knott compiling six kills and three digs in her first collegiate match accounting for nine of Rider's 30 offensive points. The teams continued to trade points and were tied at 10 before La Salle opened a four-point lead, midway through the set.
"Meg Knott, for her first time out played fantastic," said Ahlquist. "She relaxed and played and ended up playing a couple different positions. She did what she knows how to do and went after the ball."
An Explorer service error and another kill by Knott brought Rider to within one (14-13) before La Salle called time out and rallied to re-take a four-point lead at 17-13. Two kills by senior Kristy Love (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Sutherland) sparked Rider to a 6-1 run and the Broncs led 19-18. Love finished with four kills on the evening.
The Explorers rebounded by scoring six of the next eight points and won the set by four.
The third set was the most competitive of the match with nine ties and six lead changes. Trailing 8-6, Rider scored four in a row with Knott notching another kill to give the Broncs a 10-8 lead. Trailing 12-9, La Salle forged a 12 all tie with a 3-0 run.
Trailing 14-13 and Knott serving, Rider scored four in a row, on a service ace and three Explorer attack errors and the Broncs took a 17-14 lead. La Salle responded by taking advantage of five Rider attack errors during an 8-0 run and the Explorers held on for a two point win to sweep the match.
Overall, there were 21 ties and 15 lead changes in the three-set match.
The Broncs out-blocked La Salle 5-3 with sophomore Stephanie Nagy (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) finishing the match with two solo blocks.
"To come out and play like this, after having such a good preseason was disappointing," Ahlquist added. "You can always make excuses; hopefully it never happens again."
Rider had 10 service errors in the match.
Senior Amanda Piccolini (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) added 14 assists for the Broncs.
Rider had won two straight against the Explorers, defeating La Salle 3-1 in Lawrenceville last season and 3-0 in 2008 in Philadelphia. "La Salle wasn't especially big but they played very scrappy," Ahlquist said. "I'm not sure they out worked us, they just looked a little more comfortable on the floor."
La Salle leads the all-time series 22-12 in the series that started in 1980.
Dating back to last season, Rider has lost 15 straight matches.
The Broncs travel to Flagstaff, Arizona September 3-4 for the Fiesta Bowl Tournament, hosted by Northern Arizona University. Rider faces Maryland Eastern Shore, Texas A&M Corpus Christi and the host Lumberjacks of NAU.
"Arizona is a great place to regroup," Ahlquist said. "We are across the country and away from any pressure. It is a fantastic trip to take and to play against some great competition."
The home opener is September 8 at 6:00pm in Alumni Gym on the Lawrenceville, New Jersey campus.
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