LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Rider University Volleyball Head Coach Jeff Rotondo has announced the written commitments of five student-athletes for the 2020-21 academic year. Jenna Amaro, Tori Schrader, Emma Notarfrancesco, Katarina Tuerff and Frambach have all signed their National Letter of Intent (NLI) and will join the Broncs for the 2020 season.
 
"We are very excited to announce our 2020 recruiting class, which is my first class as the Head Coach at Rider University," Rotondo said. "Upon my hire in late April, we could not waste anytime identifying high quality student-athletes, who also display great character. Bringing in players who can not only compete at a high level, but also exhibit the character traits we want our teams to model was imperative. We are so pleased and excited about this class, because they are excellent students, are the type of humble and serving people we look for, and they can play the game at a high level."
 
JENNA AMARO
Amaro is a 5'11" outside hitter from Davie, Florida. She comes to Rider after starring on the volleyball team at Archbishop McCarthy High School. Amaro plays club for Tribe. On the volleyball court, she has earned has earned Sun Sentinel honorable mention in 2018 as well being a 2018 AVCA Phenom List nominee. Her team has qualified for the girls junior national championship in each of the last four years. In 2017, she was named to the Sun Sentinel Second Team as well as earning Miami Herald Second team honors. She was invited to the FACA All-Star Volleyball Classic,
 
Rotondo on Jenna Amaro
"Jenna is someone we identified immediately as a player we wanted in our program. She has a heavy arm and can terminate from both pins. She also displays great ball control and defensive capabilities proving she can be a 6-rotation player. She also plays for a club in Tribe, whose culture and values align with what we are implementing here. The transfer from their gym to ours as far as work ethic, values, and family should be easy. In addition, Jenna is a wonderful young lady who comes from an incredibly supportive family, who has pushed her to be her best. We are looking forward to continuing in her development here at Rider."
 
Why Amaro chose Rider
"I chose Rider because I really like Coach Rotondo and his vision for the program moving forward. I also love the small size of the university, it felt cozy for my first time away from home."
 
TORI SCHRADER
Schrader is a 6'0" outside hitter from Grantville, Pennsylvania. She joins the Broncs after starring on the volleyball court at Lower Dauphin High School. In high school, she has been a four-year starter. She was named a senior captain and she became the first player in program history to record 1,000 kills. She plays for Fusion Volleyball Club and she was the team MVP in both 2018 and 2019.
 
Rotondo on Schrader
"Tori is another versatile hitter we identified fairly quickly in the recruiting process. Throughout her career in high school and club, Tori shows the ability to not only hit at either pin, but the versatility to hit middle sets as well. That flexibility is something that immediately appealed to us. She also plays a lot of beach and grass doubles, helping her develop as an all-around player. Tori is also an excellent student with high character and values, something that was present in the family when we met them. We can't wait to have Tori as a member of the Rider family, and help develop her skills as a person and player."
 
Why Schrader chose Rider
"When I arrived on the campus at Rider University, I just had that feeling that this is where I was supposed to be. The coaches and the players provide a level of comfort, but at the same time you could still feel the intensity and passion that they had for volleyball. The structure and intensity of the volleyball program and the dedication needed to be a quality athlete and student were extremely appealing to me. I can see that after four years of attending Rider and being an athlete on the volleyball team that I will have the opportunity to not only be a better player, but a better person equipped with the skills and work ethic necessary to achieve my future aspirations."
 
EMMA NOTARFRANCESCO
Notarfrancesco is a 5'6" libero/defensive specialist from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. She comes to Rider after a highly successful interscholastic career at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School. She was named her team's MVP and posted 250 digs. She also plays for Fusion Volleyball Club.
 
Rotondo on Notafrancesco
"Emma is a teammate of Tori's at Club Fusion, she was also someone we had on our radar quickly. Emma is a quick, technique-oriented Libero who reads the game extremely well. Her club and previous coach also drive home the values of hard-work, selflessness, and grit. Watching Emma play, you can see those qualities. She is the doubles partner of Tori in the summer as well, so playing the game year round has aided in her ability to read and understand the other side of the net. Academically, Emma is also a very driven individual and was looking for the perfect fit for her academics, athletics and culture. The family has been so supportive of Emma through the recruiting process, and meeting them several times solidified our thoughts on Emma, they are a wonderful family."
 
Why Notafrancesco Chose Rider
"I chose Rider for a variety of reasons, the first being that I love both Coach Jeff and Coach Sue, and their vision for the volleyball program. They are working to implement a team culture that exemplifies a family and hard work, and that's something I want to be a part of. I also really like the small campus, and the location of the school. Overall, it is a great fit for me and I could not be more excited to be a Bronc!"
 
KATARINA TUERFF
Tuerff is a 6'0" middle from West Chester, Pennsylvania. She comes to Lawrenceville after starring on the varsity volleyball, ice hockey and lacrosse teams at Unionville High School. On the volleyball court, she was named Athlete of the Montth. During her career, she has earned First Team Chesmont League honors and Second Team Chesmont League recognition. As a senior, she had 29 aces, 155 kills and 71 blocks. She plays for Delaware United Volleyball Club.
 
Rotondo on Tuerff
"Katarina is someone we are very excited to add, and see her develop. She is an athletic 6'0" who is nearly touching 10 feet. She displays a quickness and explosiveness offensively and defensively that makes a huge difference in the middle. After we met with Kat and her mom on campus, it certainly seemed like the right fit. Kat is extremely driven academically, and also has a strong desire to make an impact right away athletically. Her mother, Sonya, has helped cultivate a standard of excellence in Kat, and we are happy to be able to carry those principles forward and watch Kat grow over the next four years."
 
LINDSEY FRAMBACH
Frambach is a 6'0" pin that hails from Grafton, Ohio. She comes to Rider after being a four-year member of the varsity volleyball team at Midview High School. She was recently named a 2019 Lorain County Volleyball All Star. In 2019, she also earned First Team All-Lorain County District honors as well All-Southwestern Conference First Team distinction. Last year, she was a First Team All-Lorain County District honoree and she was also named to the All-Southwestern Conference First Team.
 
Rotondo on Frambach
"Lindsey is another explosive athlete who really caught our eye during our prospect clinic here in July. Her work-ethic speaks for itself, as she woke up at 4:00 am to drive herself seven hours to our clinic, and then drove home that night. We are happy she did so, as that helps solidify our desire to add her when we saw her compete that day. She shows great versatility, hitting outside and opposite for high school, and middle hitter for club. She gets off the floor effortlessly, and is another player touching close to 10 feet. Her offensive and defensive abilities, as well as her work ethic, will certainly be welcomed to the Rider program."
 
Why Frambach Chose Rider
"I chose Rider University because throughout my recruiting process I wanted a school that would prepare me for the business field and that was near a city. I was also looking for a school with high-level volleyball and a place where I would fit in with the team and coaches and would be able to build relationships. And Rider University fit all my needs. Go Broncs!"