College Volleyball
Loyola Maryland 3, Rider University 2
LAWRENCEVILLE--Leading two sets to none, the Rider University volleyball team couldn't hold on and lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match at Loyola Maryland on Saturday evening at Reitz Arena.
The Greyhounds won 13-25, 21-25, 25-15, 25-13, 15-10.
"We passed very well in the first two sets," said head coach Christopher Feliciano. "In the final three sets, we just didn't finish. We allowed Loyola to pick up some momentum in the third set and couldn't serve receive in the fourth set. And when it got to the fifth set, we just didn't get it done. It's disappointing."
For Rider (5-23, 3-13 MAAC), junior Brittany Gajewski (Whitehouse Station/Hunterdon Central) had 22 digs with freshman Kayla Wong (Tustin, Calif./Arnold O. Beckman) adding 10 kills.
Junior Stephanie Nagy (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) had eight kills and six blocks while hitting .400.
Sophomore Meghan Bartsch (Cranford) had 25 assists with sophomore Bridget Sheerin (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) adding 12 assists.
Loyola held a 59-50 dig advantage and out-hit Rider .171 to .122.
The match featured 15 ties and nine lead changes.
"Sometimes we get caught looking for others to make a play instead of having a player making the play themself," Feliciano added. "We are still in the process of finding an identity. We did nice things in the first two sets and then we were flat in the final three sets."
The 'Hounds won at Rider 3-0 on October 8 and swept the season series. Loyola leads the all-time series with Rider 26-7. The last time Rider defeated the Greyhounds was during the 2001 season.
After winning its first five-set match of 2011 in the season opener against St. Francis (NY), the Broncs have dropped their last five in a row that have gone the five-set limit.
Rider wraps up the 2011 season with matches against defending MAAC champion Niagara November 12 at 1pm and Canisius November 13 at noon in Alumni Gymnasium.
"I thought we played Niagara pretty tough up there," Feliciano said about the match on October 16 in Western, New York. "We have to play consistent and see which way the ball bounces for us."
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