KINGSTON, RI – In a back-and-forth match Friday night, the Rider University volleyball team fell in four sets to the host Rams to open play at the University of Rhode Island Tournament. The Broncs are now 0-7 on the season, while URI improves to 3-6.
 
Tied 6-6 in the opening set, the Rams won 10 straight points, taking control of the set and taking the early lead. The Broncs fought back in the second. The set featured seven ties, but after the final tie at 14-14, Rider won five straight points and hung on for a 25-23 victory.
 
The third set was tighter than the second featuring 18 ties as neither side could seize any momentum. With Rider leading 26-25, URI won three straight points to take the lead in the match.
 
In the fourth and final set the Rams slow built a 16-11 lead before a 7-0 run put Rider away for good.


QUOTES & NOTES
"The dynamic felt really good tonight on the court. We unfortunately lost the serve and pass battle."

"Rhode Island was able to put a lot of pressure on our side out offense. On the other side, we have to be a lot cleaner on the serve line and give our block a chance to earn the point."

"We had a great effort from Tori Schrader, Pamela Loh, and Anilee Sher, as well as several others in the back row." - Head Coach Jeff Rotondo

- Rhode Island has now won all three all-time meetings between the programs.
- Today's match was the first between the teams since 1984.
- Alicia Iafrate (Closter, NJ/Demarest) had a career-high 14 digs.
- Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) finished with a career-high 16 kills.


BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .153 in the match to the Rams .211. Rider had 45 total kills, to 51 for Rhode Island.
- Schrader led the Broncs with her 16 kills. Jillian Chan (Watchung, NJ/Watchung Hills Regional) also reached double-digit kills with 13.
- Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) had 40 assists.
- Eight players recorded a dig in the match, led by Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) who had 21. Iafrate was the other Bronc in double figures. Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) finished with seven, Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbiship Hoban) finished with six, and Sher had five.
- Strah had a pair of aces for the third time this season.
- Caprice Clarke (Toronto, Canada/Blythe Acadmey [Yorkville]), Kerrigan Casper (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas), and Chan led the Broncs with four blocks each.

UP NEXT
Rider remains in the Ocean State where the Broncs will play a double header against Merrimack and Hartford Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.