LOUDONVILLE, NY – The Rider University volleyball team won three-straight sets to defeat Siena in four sets for the second time this season Sunday afternoon. The Broncs improve to 13-11 overall and 10-4 in MAAC play with the victory, while the Saints fall to 6-19 overall and 6-9 in conference action.
 
Tied 12-12 in the opening set, the Saints scored four-straight points on the serve of Claire Isaksen. The Broncs responded with a 4-1 run to get within a single point, but would get no closer falling 25-20 in the first.
 
Rider took control early in set two, scoring four-straight on the serve of Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) to go up 5-1. Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) and Christina Blount (Liberty Township, OH/Lakota East) each had a pair of kills during the run. The Saints fought back and tied the score several times, including 21-21, but again on the serve of Strah, Romano had three-straight kills and four in a 4-1 rally that closed out the set.
 
Trailing 7-3 in the third, Siena scored eight-straight points to take control of the set early. The Broncs fought back on the serve of Emma Notarfrancesco (Mechanicsburg, PA/Mechanicsburg Area Senior), scoring seven-straight to turn a 19-16 deficit into a 23-19 lead before closing out the set on a kill by Jillian Chan (Watchung, NJ/Watchung Hills Regional) to win 25-23.
 
The Broncs pulled away late in the fourth set. Leading 10-8, the Broncs outscored the Saints 15-6 for the remainder of the match.

QUOTES & NOTES
"After a less than stellar first set, the team responded well. Sets two, three, and four we found a better rhythm each set. Offensively we did a lot of good things. Siena is playing really well, so to get the win on the road was a big hurdle to get over."

"1-1 this weekend wasn't our goal, but after yesterday we could not afford to go 0-2. Nini, Jill, and Romano were great. I thought Emma, Molly, and Pam really played well, which was great to see." - Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
- Siena's lead in the all-time series is cut to 28-15.
- Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) had her first career double-double with 12 digs and 10 assists.
- Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) also had a double-double with 47 assists and 14 digs.
- Romano set a season-high with 26 kills.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .309 in the match to the Saints .305. Rider had 64 total kills, to 51 for Siena.
- It is the third time this season the Broncs hit over .300 as a team.
- Rider had 58 total digs to just 44 for Siena
- In addition to Romano's 26 kills, Jillian Chan (Watchung, NJ/Watchung Hills) was in double figures with 16 and Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) finished with nine.
- Ten Broncs recorded a dig in the match, led by Sher's 14 and the 12 from Loh. Schrader tied a career-high with eight.
- Caprice Clarke (Toronto, Canada/Blythe Academy [Yorkville]) led the Broncs with six blocks.

UP NEXT
Rider returns home to begin a four-match homestand that closes out the regular season beginning on Saturday against Manhattan at 12 p.m.