LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University volleyball team extended their winning streak to seven matches Saturday afternoon, defeating Quinnipiac in four sets. The Broncs are above .500 for the first time this season at 9-8, including a 7-1 record in the MAAC. The Bobcats drop to 4-13 and are 3-5 in the conference.
 
The opening set featured seven ties, but when Morgan Romano (Oviedo, Fl/Hagerty) served four-straight points for the Broncs after the team led 18-17, Rider took control and closed out set one.
 
With the Broncs leading 13-11 in the second, it was another 4-0 run with Romano serving that gave Rider control of the set. The Bobcats fought back to 20-19, but Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) and Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) served for a 5-1 run to end the set.
 
Down 15-11 in the third, the Bobcats made their best run of the day. Quinnipiac scored eight-straight points as part of a larger 17-3 run that closed out the set.
 
The Broncs regrouped and came out firing in the fourth. Romano and Caprice Clarke (Toronto, Canada/ Blythe Academy [Yorkville]) had back-to-back combo blocks that helped Rider to a 5-1 lead. Leading 19-12 Alicia Iafrate (Closter, NJ/Demarest) served out the set and gave the Broncs the match victory.

QUOTES & NOTES
"We seemed to be clicking a lot. Midway through the first set we were finding the systems we need to be at. We got into a funk in set three, but we responded really well in set four. Block and defense was really dialed in today."
 
"[Tori] made really good decisions. When to be aggressive, when not to be aggressive, and even when she wasn't aggressive it paid off for her." – Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
"We overcame adversity and came out in the fourth set and shut them down."
 
"We watch a lot of film and our preparation allows us to get to a lot of balls on the block."
 
"Pam is really good and talking and telling us what's open and where to swing, and it really allows me to focus on where the blockers are while I'm in the air." – Sophomore Outside Hitter Tori Schrader
 
- Rider completes the season sweep of Quinnipiac and now leads the all-time series 12-10.
- Clarke set a career-high with 10 blocks, besting the nine she had against Marist last week.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .269 in the match to the Bobcats .123. Rider had 48 total kills, to 39 for Manhattan.
- Rider has out-hit all seven of its opponents during the winning streak.
- Rider had 51 total digs to 46 for Quinnipiac.
- The Broncs finished with 11 total blocks.
- Romano's 16 kills led a trio of Broncs in double figures, as she was joined by Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin), who finished with 12 and Jillian Chan, who had 11.
- 10 Broncs recorded a dig in the match, led by Pamela Loh's (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) 15. Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) had 7 after taking over as the team's libero for the final set. Sher and Strah each had eight in the winning effort.
- Romano had three aces in the match and Sher recorded a pair as well.

UP NEXT
Rider remains at home for a match against Fairfield on Sunday. The Stags are the last team to defeat the Broncs and are 6-1 in the MAAC this season. First serve is at 1 p.m.