LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University volleyball team was dominant Saturday afternoon, topping Manhattan in straight sets, 25-15, 25-20, 25-17. With the win, the Broncs improved to 14-11 overall and 11-4 in the MAAC. The Jaspers fell to 2-17 overall and 2-13 in league play.
 
The Broncs took control of the match early. Trailing 5-4, Christina Blount (Liberty Township, OH/Lakota East) had three kills and Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) added a pair as the Broncs used an 8-0 run to take a lead they would not give up. Leading 17-13, Rider went on an 8-2 run to close out the set, capped by another Schrader kill.
 
The second set was much closer than the first with neither side able to take control. Trailing 16-13, Manhattan went on a 5-0 run, including a pair of aces by Julia Menocal to take the lead. But Rider immediately responded, scoring six-straight points on the serve of Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty), including a pair of aces to take control of the set.
 
The third was close throughout, as both sides responded to any run the other made. But leading 15-14, Romano against served for a Bronc run, this time 4-0, and capped by another ace. The Broncs never looked back from that moment, ending the match in straight sets.

QUOTES & NOTES
"We have seen some predictability on what they are looking to do offensively. I thought the block and defense did a pretty good job."
 
"It got away from us a little bit at Marist. We weren't doing the right thing in serve receive. We came back and worked on it a lot this week and they did a good job today, it allows Nini to not be predictable and makes it easier for her to run our offense." – Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
"They have some good servers so it was hard to pass, but we got locked in and executed."
 
"In the beginning it was hard, you don't really get how long the season is, but now I get it and the team is one big family and helping." – Sophomore Outside Hitter Tori Schrader
 
"I think throughout the who game we had energy. Even though they scored a few, the energy felt great the whole time."
 
"Nini was putting up great balls and the defense was putting up great balls for her to run the offense. They gave me a lot of room to see the block and that really helped today." – Senior Outside Hitter Jillian Chan
 
- Manhattan now leads the all-time series 30-19, but Rider has won five straight.
- Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) had 36 assists, five off a season-high for a three-set match, also against Manhattan.
- Romano added a team-high five aces to her MAAC leading total of 36.
- Romano now has 1,091 career kills, passing Stefanie Lombaro '05 for seventh in program history.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .247 in the match to the Jaspers .045. Rider had 40 total kills, to just 17 for Manhattan.
- Rider had 52 total digs to 31 for Manhattan.
- Schrader led the Broncs with 12 kills, her 11^th double-digit kill match this season. Jillian Chan (Watchung, NJ/Watchung Hills Regional) had nine on .368 hitting and Morgan Romano added seven.
- Nine Broncs recorded a dig in the match, led by 14 from Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson). Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) had 11, her second time this season in double figures. Romano and Sher each added eight.
- In addition to Romano's five aces in the match, Strah had three.

UP NEXT
Rider continues the home stand tomorrow against Iona. Match time is set for 1 p.m.