College Volleyball – MAAC Quarterfinals
#4 Manhattan 3, #5 Rider University 0

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y.—The Rider University volleyball season came to an end as the Broncs lost in the quarterfinals of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship, hosted by Siena College Friday evening.

Manhattan won the match 25-16, 25-22, 25-20.

“We are disappointed by the outcome,” said head coach Christopher Feliciano.  “We had a great game plan that we didn't execute in order to win a playoff match.”

For Rider (16-17, 11-7 MAAC), sophomore Jennifer Borio (Ridley Park, Pa./Padua Academy) had eight kills, two digs and a block with sophomore Veronica Koval (Allentown, Pa./Parkland) adding 15 assists and 10 digs.

Sophomore Emma Aldaya (Prospect Park, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy had 14 digs with MAAC Rookie of the Year Hailey Riede (Haworth/Northern Valley-Demarest) adding five kills, four blocks and three digs.

All-MAAC Second Team honoree junior Kaitlyn Griffin (Chesapeake, Va./Hickory) had seven kills, four blocks and two digs for the Broncs.

In the opening set, tied 3-3, Manhattan used a 7-0 run to open up a seven point lead. 

Trailing 12-4, Rider got to within 16-12 with an 8-4 run on a kill by Riede but could get no closer as the Jaspers prevailed. 

Leading 20-16, Manhattan used a 5-0 run to close out the set 25-16.

Rider had eight kills but made eight errors in the opening set.

Rider opened the second set with a 4-0 run, with two Riede kills and two Jasper attack errors. 

Manhattan responded with an 8-3 run to take an 8-7 lead.  Trailing 13-11 Rider tied the match on a Griffin kill and a service ace from freshman Kristen Fick (North Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) and the Broncs broke an 18-18 tie with a service ace from Aldaya.  Fick finished with eight digs and three kills.

Tied 20-20, Manhattan won five of the next seven points to secure the set 25-22.

In the third set, Manhattan won seven of the opening 10 points before two Jasper attack errors got the Broncs to within two.  Trailing 10-6, Rider again got to within two on a service error and attack error by the Jaspers.

Manhattan scored five of the next six points to take a 15-9 lead.  After kills by junior Ryan Ackermann (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) and Riede got the Broncs to within 17-12, the Jaspers reeled off a 6-1 run to make the score 21-13 and the teams traded points with Manhattan winning the final set 25-20.  Ackermann finished with seven digs and four kills.

Also for Rider, playing in her final match, senior Brandie Hill (Portland, Ore./Lincoln) had seven kills.

Manhattan out-attacked Rider .218 to .094 and the Jaspers had a 41-31 kill advantage.

The Jaspers advance to face top seed Fairfield University in the semifinals on Saturday at 5pm on ESPN 3.

Manhattan improves to 28-8 all-time over Rider.

Rider and Manhattan split the two regular matches this season with each team winning on the road, the fourth year in a row that the teams split the season series.

This was the first time since the 2004 season that Rider has qualified for the four or six team conference playoffs, based on regular season performance.  The Broncs participated in the conference playoffs in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 when all teams qualified and played at Disney World in Florida.

Rider spent the majority of the season in first place in the conference, beginning the season with seven straight MAAC wins before losing four straight to end the season.

After 13 wins from 2009-2011, Rider has won 59 matches in the last four seasons and the Broncs have 21 MAAC wins in the past two seasons.

The second youngest team in the MAAC this season with six freshmen and three sophomores, Rider returns 11 letterwinners for the 2016 campaign.

“On the positive side we are returning 11 players who will play a major role in success and continue the wining culture of our program,” Feliciano said.  “We look to make another push to better our conference record and be able to win a playoff match or two.”

-RU-