LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – For the second-straight day, the Rider University volleyball team fell behind by two sets before storming back to win in five sets, defeating Niagara Sunday afternoon. The senior day victory closes out the regular season for both teams. The Broncs will enter the MAAC Tournament as the no. 2 seed after going 17-11 overall and 14-4 in league play. The Purple Eagles close out the regular season at 13-14 overall and 10-8 in conference matches. They will wait for other action around the league to finish to see their seed for the tournament.
 
The Broncs opened the match strong building an 8-3 lead thanks in large part to a trio of aces by Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin). But after the Broncs earned set point at 24-22, Niagara scored four-straight, including three kills by Mary Redl to take the set.
 
The Purple Eagles took control midway through the second. Trailing 7-6, Niagara went on a 5-0 run, and never trailed again in the set, taking a commanding 2-0 lead.
 
Rider responded in the third, building a quick 6-1 lead thanks to a pair of aces by Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill). Leading 21-19, Rider closed out the set on a 4-1 run, capped by an ace from Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban).
 
The fourth set featured 14 ties, as neither side could gain control. Trailing 22-21, the Broncs scored four straight on the serve of Jenna Amaro (Davie, FL/Archbishop McCarthy) to cause the final tie of the set and force a winner-take-all fifth.
 
The Broncs were dominant in the final set. Leading 3-2 Rider went on a 9-1 run, including three kills and a pair of aces by Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty). Niagara responded with four-straight points, but the Broncs earned a side out then served out the match.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"I'm thrilled for [Anilee] and obviously the team. They've worked really hard and to get that 13th win yesterday and 14 today, and it's been a grind, but I'm proud of the effort both yesterday and today."

"We know that we can have a bad set and recover from it. When you reach the conference tournament you need to be able to do that because anybody can beat anybody."

"I got here two and a half years ago and you don't know what you're walking in to. There were wholesale changes when we got here, both culture and expectations and [the senior class] wanted to be a part of it. They've been a huge part of it since I walked in the door, and I can't thank them enough." - Head Coach Jeff Rotondo

"I'm extremely surprised, I didn't think I got 68 assists, but knowing it's my last game on home court it's awesome. All credit to the hitters because they did all the work."

"We grew up together for sure. When we came in, it wasn't the best program or the easiest place to be. We took each other under our wings and became family. Playing with them today and having such a good match with them was really special." - Senior Setter Anilee Sher

- Rider cuts Niagara's advantage in the all-time series to 24-16.
- Sher had 68 assists in the match, a program record, besting the previous record of 66 set by Jennifer Lane in 2004. Her 68 assists are the third-most in a match by any athlete this season.
- Sher added 17 digs for her ninth double-double of the year, and third straight.
- Romano led the Broncs with 26 kills and a career-high 26 digs for her 12^th double-double of the season.
- Amaro set a career-high with 16 digs.
- Jillian Chan (Watchung, NJ/Watchung Hills Regional) tied a career-high with 17 kills, her third time reaching that mark.
- Caprice Clarke (Toronto, Canada/Blythe Academy[Yorkville]) had a season-high 12 kills on .321 hitting.
- Prior to the match the team honored its four graduating seniors, Sher, Chan, Kerrigan Casper (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), and Clarke.


BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .241 in the match to the Purple Eagles .185. Rider had 72 total kills, while Niagara had 55.
- The Purple Eagles had 14 blocks to just five for Rider.
- Romano, Chan, and Clarke led the Broncs' effort with double-digit kills. Schrader finished just shy, totaling nine kills.
- Nine players recorded a dig in the match, led by the 26 from Romano. Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) had 19 to go with Sher's 17 and Amaro's 16.
- Romano had four aces in the match. Sher and Amaro each added a pair.

UP NEXT
Rider travels to the MAAC Championships in Loudonville, NY. The Broncs will play in the quarterfinals on Friday against seventh-seeded Iona.