NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, NY – The Rider University volleyball team took a set off of Niagara, but ultimately fell in four sets Saturday afternoon. The Broncs drop to 9-10 overall and sit at 7-3 in the MAAC. The Purple Eagles improve to 8-10 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
 
The Purple Eagles came out swinging in the first, jumping out to a 9-1 lead and never looking back. Niagara led by as many as 15 on its way to the first-set win.
 
The second set was extremely tight, with both sides fighting for control. With the Broncs leading 10-6, Niagara scored six-straight points to take back the lead. Rider immediately responded with five straight, including a pair of kills from Jenna Amaro (Davie, FL/Archbishop McCarthy) and two aces by Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill). With the Broncs up 24-23, the Purple Eagles captured the sets final three points to extend the lead.
 
Rider responded in the third, consistently building the lead. Leading 22-14, Niagara responded with a 6-1 run, but back-to-back kills by Amaro and Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) gave the set to the Broncs.
 
Niagara closed out the match in the fourth thanks to a large run early in the set. The Broncs were up 4-2 when Niagara scored eight straight and never trailed again in the set. Down 21-14, Sydney Bond (Homestead, FL/Westminster Christian School) served five-straight points, but that would be as close as the Broncs would get.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"We definitely struggled to get in a rhythm early on, both offensively and defensively. Sometimes when that happens, making some big changes are warranted. When we made those changes into the third set, those players responded well."

"Sydney Bond, Julia Slivka, Ella Weinbeck, Jordan Taylor, and a few others came in and helped us get back into the match. Lindsey Frambach came in and got a few good swings after being sidelined for a month." - Head Coach Jeff Rotondo

- Niagara extends its advantage in the all-time series to 24-15.
- Romano led the Broncs with 12 kills, her 15^th time leading the Broncs in kills this season.
- Romano also added a team-high 18 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.
- Bond set career-highs with 13 assists and seven digs.
- Julia Slivka (Adamstown, MD/Tuscarora) set career-highs with seven assists and 11 digs.


BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit just .100 in the match to the Purple Eagles .207. Rider had 49 total kills, to 52 for Niagara.
- The Purple Eagles had 9 blocks to just one for Rider.
- Eight Broncs recorded a kill in the match led by Romano's 12. Along with Romano, Amaro had eight and Tori Schrader added seven.
- Sher had 18 assists in two sets of action.
- 14 players recorded a dig in the match, led by the 18 from Romano. Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) had 16 to go with Slivka's 11 and 10 from Emma Notarfrancesco (Mechanicsburg, PA/Mechanicsburg Area Senior).
- Sher, Amaro, and Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) each recorded a pair of aces in the match.

UP NEXT
Rider continues conference play on Sunday when it visits Canisius for a match at 12 p.m.