College Volleyball
Rider University 3, Iona College 0
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Match
LAWRENCEVILLE--On a day that saw Mercer County digging out from two inches of snow, the Rider University volleyball team used some digging of their own, raising donations for Dig Pink and the Broncs defeated Iona College 3-0 on Saturday afternoon in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match.
Rider (5-20, 3-10 MAAC) broke a nine match losing streak with a 25-20, 25-22, 26-24 win that featured 23 ties and seven lead changes.
"We played consistent throughout the entire match and stuck to the game plan," said head coach Christopher Feliciano. "We had some unforced errors but today, we fought through them and used our home court to our advantage. We had a great crowd supporting us and it was good to see the team finally push through for the win."
For the Broncs, freshman Jaclyn Webber (Anaheim, Calif./Canyon) had a 'double-double' of 12 kills and 12 digs with junior Stephanie Nagy (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) also compiling 12 kills.
"Jaclyn is slowly but surely coming into her own as a volleyball player," Feliciano said. "She is dependable. We put a ton of pressure on her to do multiple things and if we aren't passing well, she is going to see a double block every time. She did a nice job getting Iona out of their system and also helped us use Stephanie (Nagy) more in the middle."
"It was a really fun match," Webber said. "Everyone worked well together, something we haven't really been doing over the last few matches."
Sophomore Bridget Sheerin (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) had five kills, three in a row in the final set as the Broncs and Gaels battled through 13 ties and three lead changes.
"Bridget hit .312 the last time we played at Iona," Feliciano said. "We saw some things on tape that allowed us to put her in a good position and we made sure our setters were aware that she would be a prime option late in the third set. We wanted to get her the ball earlier in the match and when we finally did, you saw the offensive explosion. She came up big when we needed her."
Also for Rider, freshman Ashlee Amatulli (Menifee, Calif./Temecula Valley) had 23 assists with junior Brittany Gajewski (Whitehouse Station/Hunterdon Central Regional) adding 21 digs.
"Ashlee (Amatulli) did a great job setting for me and I was able to make the plays," Sheerin said about the third set. "As a whole, the team really worked hard together. We've had close matches all year and it feels awesome to get a win."
"We did a good job of not getting too high when things went our way and not getting too low or upset when they didn't," Feliciano said. "We were on an even keel. We did some great things and some bad things but they just worried about the next play in front of them and I think that was the key."
The Broncs avenged a 3-2 loss in New Rochelle, New York to Iona on October 1. This marks only the fourth time (in 26 matches) that Rider has defeated Iona with the last Bronc win over the Gaels in 1999.
The Dig Pink effort featured the Rider players soliciting pledges for each dig and assist during today's match with the donations benefiting the American Cancer Society. Over $500 was raised.
"We've had numerous members of our team and their families affected by cancer," Feliciano said. "It is important that we work to give back to the community and give to a greater cause. We talk a lot about family atmosphere and life lessons. When you have a little extra time and can help a cause or someone less fortunate, it can go a long way. It also helps the players with responsibility and personal development."
Rider hosts Fairfield in a MAAC match on Sunday at 1pm. The Broncs lost to the Stags in Connecticut 3-1 on October 2.
"Fairfield is one of the toughest teams we are going to play all year," Webber said. "Coming off this win, I think we can give them a run for their money."
"We're looking to keep the momentum from today's match and bring it Sunday against Fairfield," Sheerin said. "Hopefully we can continue the winning streak."
"I told the players to enjoy the win tonight but to also be ready and focused to continue the effort on Sunday against Fairfield," Feliciano added. "Part of the culture change is to know how to win and to do it graciously and we did that. A win at home creates excitement but we also know we should have won more matches and tomorrow is a chance to continue the positives from today. I want us to be motivated to perform well on Sunday and I think we will be. We don't want to be good, we want to be great and today was a small step toward that."
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