LOUDONVILLE, NY – The Rider University volleyball team saw its seven-match winning streak and unfortunately its season come to an end Sunday afternoon, falling in straight sets to Fairfield in the MAAC Championship Match. The Broncs close out the season at 19-12, while the Stags improve to 24-8 and will now await their opponent in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Fairfield was in control from the start. After Rider took the opening point, the Stags scored five-straight and never trailed, taking the first set 25-11.
 
In the second, the Broncs again scored the opening point of the set, but Fairfield responded with three straight and never trailed again in the set. The Stags never allowed the Broncs to score more than two consecutive points in the set.
 
The third set mirrored the opening two as Rider scored first and Fairfield immediately responded with three-straight. Trailing 5-2, Rider fought back with a pair of kills by Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) bracketed a kill by Caprice Clarke (Toronto, Canada/Blyth Academy[Yorkville]) to tie the match. Down 17-11, Rider went on a 7-3 run to pull within two, but would get no closer and the Stags would take the match with a 25-21 win.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"First, congrats and good luck to Fairfield as they go and represent the MAAC in the NCAA Tournament. They played great tonight. We struggled out of the gate, but started to find some rhythm. Set two, we had some opportunities, but were a little sloppy with the ball and it cost us in that set. The fight and resiliency had been great all year, and the team played valiently in the third, only to come up short."

"It's hard right now. The seniors have been instrumental in the success of this program and it's hard to believe I won't coach them again in a match. I love them and wish I could have been better for them today. Nini, Cap, Jill, and Kerrigan, thank you for all you've done for the program and me." - Head Coach Jeff Rotondo

- The Stags extend their advantage in the all-time series to 39-5.
- Romano led the Broncs with 13 kills, giving her 510 for the season, fifth most in program history.
- Clarke ends the season with 1.19 blocks per set, eighth-most in program history.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit just .080 in the match to the Stags .404. Rider had 35 total kills, to 43 for Fairfield.
- The Stags had 13 blocks to five for Rider.
- The Fairfield defense allowed just five Broncs to record kills, led by Romano's 13. Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) had nine, and Clarke and Jordan Taylor (Wellington, FL/Wellington) each had five.
- Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) had 32 assists.
- Nine players recorded a dig in the match, led by Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson), who had 12. Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) was also in double digits with 10. Sher finished with six.