College Volleyball – 10th Annual Rose Hill Classic
Stony Brook University 3, Rider University 0
Harvard University 3, Rider University 1
BRONX, N.Y.—The Rider University volleyball team lost twice on the opening day of the 10th Annual Rose Hill Classic, hosted by Fordham University.
Stony Brook defeated the Broncs 25-20, 25-17, 25-15 in the opener with the Crimson of Harvard winning 25-18, 21-25, 25-18, 25-18 Friday afternoon. “The second match went well,” said head coach Emily Ahlquist. “The first match, we were still sleeping.” The Broncs left campus at 5am for the 9am tournament start.
“It was good to experience that,” Ahlquist added. “We are going to have to do that kind of travel when we start conference play and we have to be ready no matter the start time.”
For Rider (1-6) in the nightcap, senior Katelyn Thompson (Tucson, Ariz./Catalina Foothills) recorded her second 'double-double' of the season with 16 kills and 10 digs.
“Katelyn played well for us and Megan is coming around,” Ahlquist said. “She had some fantastic defensive series.”
Senior Amanda Piccolini (St. Clairsville, Ohio/St. Clairsville) compiled 37 assists with freshman Megan Knott (West Caldwell/James Caldwell) recorded 10 kills for the Broncs.
“The match was closer than the score indicated,” Ahlquist said about the Harvard contest. “We had one rally that lasted over 20 hits across the net. It was a battle. Both teams played incredible defense.”
Tied at seven in the opening set against Harvard, the Crimson went on a 3-0 run and leading 12-9, Harvard scored four of the next five points to lead 16-9 in the eventual seven point set win.
Tied at 15 in the second set, Rider went on a 3-0 run, on a Knott kill and two Harvard errors. After the Crimson tied the set at 19, a Harvard service error and a Thompson kill gave the Broncs a 21-19 lead. Two more kills by Thompson gave Rider the needed points in the 25-21 win that tied the match at one.
The teams traded the first 20 points in the third set before Harvard broke a 10-10 tie with a kill and two attack errors. Three kills and a service ace put the Crimson ahead 19-13 and Harvard won the set by seven.
The fourth and deciding set saw Harvard win the first six of seven points. A kill by sophomore Stephanie Nagy (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) and a Crimson attack error got the Broncs within three at 13-10 and Piccolini recorded a service ace to get Rider within 16-14. The Crimson scored six of the next nine points to clinch the match with a seven point set win. Nagy had five kills in the match.
This was the first meeting between the Broncs and Harvard.
Harvard out-hit Rider .260 to .109.
For Rider (1-6) in the opener, Piccolini had 20 assists, with Nagy adding six kills and three blocks. Nagy hit .857 for the match.
Trailing 8-6 in the opening set, Stony Brook won the next three points to take a 9-8 lead. Tied at 10, the Seawolves used another 3-0 run to take a three point lead and eventually went up 16-11. Rider got to within 21-20 on a kill by Thompson, a Seawolf attack error and an ace by Piccolini but could get no closer. Thompson finished the match with nine kills. Stony Brook finished the set on a 4-0 run.
Stony Brook won five of the first six points of the second set to lead 5-1. Rider battled back to 5-4 on two Nagy block assists and eventually tied the set at eight. Leading 13-12, the Seawolves used a 9-2 run to take a 22-14 lead, eventually winning the set by eight.
Leading 8-7 in the third set, Stony Brook used a 7-1 run to go up 15-8 and leading 20-15, won the final five points to clinch the match.
The Seawolves hit .342 to .162 for Rider.
This was the third meeting all-time between Rider and Stony Brook with the Seawolves now leading the series 2-1.
Rider has lost five straight.
In other tournament matches on Friday, Fordham defeated Harvard 3-0 and Syracuse defeated Stony Brook 3-0 and Fordham 3-0.
The Broncs stay in the Bronx and face undefeated Syracuse and the host Rams of Fordham on Saturday.
“We have to play better teams to get better,” Ahlquist said. “We are learning to play better as we face bigger and stronger teams. This tournament and the Arizona trip gives us great experience to take into conference play next weekend.”
-RU-
