College Volleyball
Marist College 3, Rider University 2
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Match

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.—In a battle for first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Marist College volleyball team rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to defeat Rider University 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at the McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Marist won the two and a half hour match 22-25, 25-12, 24-26, 28-26, 15-12.

“We play exciting matches,” said head coach Christopher Feliciano.  “Our season definitely isn't for the faint of heart.  I was especially impressed with how we battled and kept things together after losing the second set by 13 points.”

For Rider (12-9, 6-2 MAAC) senior Jaclyn Webber (Anaheim, Calif./Canyon) had 22 digs and 11 kills.  Webber needs 10 kills to reach the 1,000 kill plateau for her career.

“Jaclyn played a smart match,” Feliciano said.  “She had some mismatches and was able to find the floor.  The setters put her in some really nice positions to make some plays.  Jaclyn played an intelligent match.”

Also for the Broncs, sophomore Kaitlyn Griffin (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) had 12 kills and seven blocks, sophomore Ryan Ackermann (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) had 11 kills and freshman Jennifer Borio (Ridley Park, Pa./Padua Academy) also had 11 kills and two blocks.

For the setters, senior Ashlee Amatulli (Menifee, Calif./Temecula Valley) had 28 assists and 12 digs with freshman Veronica Koval (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) adding 21 assists.

Freshman Emma Aldaya (Prospect Park, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy) continued her strong play with 28 digs.

The match featured 23 ties and 12 lead changes.  “We had four match points and just couldn't complete it in the fourth set,” Feliciano said.

The last time the two teams met in Poughkeepsie, Marist rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 on November 17, 2013, the final match of the 2013 regular season.  Former Northeast Conference rivals, Rider has won 13 of the 35 matches all-time against Marist. The Broncs defeated the Red Foxes in two out of three matches in 2010 including a 3-0 win in the MAAC Championship Tournament and a 3-2 win in Alumni Gym that saw the Broncs rally from two sets down.  The Red Foxes swept Rider in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Rider and Marist meet in Alumni Gymnasium on November 16 for the final match of the regular season before the 10-team conference tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Florida November 20-23.

The Broncs stay in New York to face Siena College on Sunday in a MAAC match, beginning at 1pm.

“It's exciting to see the way we are playing,” Feliciano said.  “With that said, this is a wakeup call that we expect to win these matches.  We do things 90 percent of the time but that 10 percent came back and got us today.  It is disheartening to lose but this season is real.  We aren't getting lucky, we are putting in the work to get positive results.”   

-RU-