College Volleyball
Rider University 3, Saint Peter's College 0
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Match
LAWRENCEVILLE--The Rider University volleyball team opened Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play with a 3-0 win over Saint Peter's on Tuesday evening in Alumni Gymnasium.
Rider (3-8, 1-0 MAAC) won the match 25-17, 25-19, 25-13 over Saint Peter's (0-11, 0-1 MAAC)
"We had a tough start to non-conference play," said head coach Christopher Feliciano. "We had a couple of injuries to overcome. It felt good to be at home and to clean up some of the play from the past few weeks. The team did a good job tonight."
The first place Broncs were led by freshman Kayla Wong (Tustin, Calif./Arnold O. Beckman) who had a match-high 11 kills while hitting .688.
"Our passing created a lot of one on one situations for Kayla tonight and she took advantage of them," Feliciano said. "She was on tonight. When you have numbers like she did, it wasn't only her but the entire team."
"The match went really well," said Wong, a 5-11 right side outside hitter. "We've been working really hard the past few weeks in practice and that showed tonight."
Also for Rider, freshman Ashlee Amatulli (Menifee, Calif./Temecula Valley) had 17 assists with freshman Shelbie Stannard (Alvin, Texas/Alvin) adding 10 digs and three service aces.
The Broncs out-hit Saint Peter's .395 to .049.
Rider opened the match on a 6-0 run with Amatulli serving and after the Peahens cut the score to 21-17, kills by Wong, freshman Rachel Jensen (Buena Park, Calif./Troy) and freshman Kelsey Kowalski (Wrightstown/Northern Burlington) closed out the set. Kowalski finished with two kills and two block assists with Jensen compiling four kills, two digs and two block assists.
The teams split the first six points of the second set before Saint Peter's went on a 4-0 run to open up a 7-3 lead. Rider won the next seven points, two kills by freshman Jaclyn Webber (Anaheim, Calif./Canyon) as the Broncs took a 10-7 lead. Webber finished with nine kills and seven digs.
Leading 18-16, the Broncs won seven of the final 10 points to take the set and gaining a 2-0 lead heading into the 10 minute intermission.
Set three was all Rider as the Broncs broke a 3-3 tie with a 13-3 run, eventually clinching the match with a 12 point win.
Junior co-captain Brittany Gajewski (Whitehouse Station/Hunterdon Central Regional) added seven digs for the Broncs.
Rider has won 16 of the 36 matches in the all-time series against Saint Peter's.
Rider played Saint Peter's earlier this season in a non-conference match, won by the Broncs 3-1 in a tournament at Lafayette.
"It helped a little with knowing their tendencies," Wong said about playing Saint Peter's 10 days ago. "We were prepared and that helped a lot."
"The hardest thing to do is beat a team three times and going up to their place in 11 days (September 24) is going to be difficult," Feliciano said. "We are more focused on the upcoming weekend but in reference to seeing them again, it is going to be a tough road match and we will have to be ready."
The Broncs won two of three matches with Saint Peter's last season, including a 3-1 win in the MAAC Championship tournament.
Rider only won twice in conference play last season before winning twice in the MAAC playoffs.
Rider last won a MAAC opener in 2006, defeating Manhattan 3-1. The Broncs lost the MAAC opener in 2010 and 2009 to the Jaspers by 3-2 scores. Rider lost at Fairfield 3-1 to open 2008 MAAC schedule and at Canisius 3-0 in 2007.
"Tonight's win is a continuation of the team growing," Feliciano added. "On average, we start four to five freshmen and the most important part is that the team is growing as a unit. Tonight we had a lot more moments of looking good than looking like freshmen."
Over 200 fans came out for the 6pm match, making the noise of almost a thousand.
"We want to thank everyone who came out," said Feliciano. "Not just the student-athletes but the general student population. We believe in a family orientated atmosphere and we greatly appreciate everyone who supported us. We are going to be a fun team to watch and we are working hard to continue to be a relevant part of a great Rider community."
Rider hosts Marist College on Saturday and Siena College Sunday in a pair of MAAC matches at 1pm on the Lawrenceville campus.
"We're excited about facing Marist," Wong said. "The coaches are going to prepare us in practice for what we are going to see and we're all ready to get back in the gym and start working again."
"Tonight was a good start and we cleaned up some things we weren't doing well," Feliciano said. "I'm hoping that can carry over to the matches this weekend. Both programs (Marist and Siena) have great coaching and quality players and it will be a challenge."
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