NEW ROCHELLE, NY – The Rider University volleyball team won its second-straight match on Tuesday, defeating Iona in straight sets. The Broncs improved to 4-8 overall and 2-1 in MAAC play, while the Gaels dropped to 3-7 overall and 1-1 in conference matches.
 
The Broncs came out firing in the opening set, as the team jumped out to a 7-1 lead and never looked back on the serves of Anilee Sher (Poughkeepsie, NY/Spackenkill) and Emma Notarfrancesco (Mechanicsburg, PA/Mechanicsburg Area Senior). Jillian Chan (Watchung, NJ/Watchung Hills Regional) and Kerrigan Casper (Webster, NY/Webster Thomas) each contributed a pair of kills during the run.
 
The second was tight all set. Tied 21-21, Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) had back-to-back kills. Then following an ace by Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson), Romano and Morgan Koch (Bloomington, IL/Central Catholic) combined for a block to clinch the set.
 
In the third set, the Broncs jumped out to an early lead again, with Sher serving the Broncs to a 4-0 advantage. Leading 18-13, Rider scored five straight to take complete control of the set en route to closing out the match.


QUOTES & NOTES
"It's good to get a road victory in three, especially with the quick turnaround from Sunday. We did a good job of keeping pressure on them with the way we were serving, which aided in our ability to block, defend, and counter them in transition."
 
"I'd like to see us be more aggressive when we have leads. The team recognized this after the second set and changed their mentality heading into the third. Really happy to see them have that awareness and come out strong."
 
"Nini was great, played good defense, and served well too. The other usual suspects like Romano, Pam, Kerrigan, Emma, and our pins Tori, Jenna, and Jill all did well too. Looking forward to finally being home for a match this Saturday." – Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
- Rider cuts into Iona's lead in the all-time series, which now stands at 28-15.
- The Broncs have taken eight of the last nine against the Gaels.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .255 in the match to the Gaels .083. Rider had 41 total kills, to just 30 for Iona.
- Romano led the Broncs with 18 kills. Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) added eight kills in the match. Jenna Amaro (Davie, FL/Archbishop McCarthy) came off the bench in the third set and chipped in four kills.
- Nine players recorded a dig in the match, led by Sher's 13 and Loh's 12. Notarfrancesco had nine digs on the back line.
- Notarfrancesco also had a pair of aces, the second time this season she recorded multiple aces in a match.
- Casper led the Broncs with eight blocks, giving her 17 over the last two matches.

UP NEXT
Rider comes home to Alumni Gym for the first time this season for a match against Saint Peter's on Saturday at 1 p.m.