LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University volleyball team showed the potential of the team that was picked to finish second by the league's coaches in the preseason, defeating Iona in four sets Wednesday night. The Broncs move to 6-15 overall and 4-7 in MAAC play. The Gaels, who entered the night in second place in the MAAC, fall to 13-8 overall and 8-3 in MAAC play.
 
For the second-straight match, the Broncs went on a run to start the night. Kills by Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) and Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) kick-started a 4-0 run. The Gaels slowly crept back, taking a brief lead at 18-17 before the Broncs answered with a 7-0 on the serve of Alicia Iafrate (Closter, NJ/Demarest), including a pair of blocks by Morgan Koch (Bloomington, IL/Central Catholic). The Broncs took the set 25-20.
 
The Broncs jumped out in front again in set two, taking a 6-0 lead on Schrader's serve. Iona immediately answered with a 4-0 run of their own, going on to tie the set at 13. Down 14-13, Iona went on another 4-0 run to take their first lead of the set and would not trail again, winning 25-20 to even the match.
 
The third set featured 11 ties, and was the first the Broncs did not take an early lead in. Down 15-13, Romano served a pair of aces as part of a 6-0 run and the Broncs would never look back, taking the set 25-18.
 
The fourth set was tight early. Leading 10-9, Rider went on a 5-0 run, with another two blocks by Koch during the rally. The Gaels responded getting to within one at 17-16, but Rider would never let Iona tie the set. Leading 20-18, Rider went on a 4-0 run capped by a monster kill off the arm of Kianny Santiago (San Juan, PR/Hudson Catholic (NJ)). Two points later the Broncs would take the match.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"We needed to get back in the win column and get a taste of what the feels like. We still have a few players out, but everyone else came in and stepped up. Kianny played great, Tori had a fantastic night, Alicia again played really well, and Koch steps in and does really well. We need people who have played in big matches to play like they've been in big matches."
 
"Morgan's played against Jen plenty of times, and knows the tendencies and was able to try to slow her down. She gets in and fills really well."
 
"We always want to be aggressive. Even at the end of the third set, there was a really tight ball that was high, and Tori just went up and swung anyway and got the kill on set point when that ball very easily could have been blocked. But if she doesn't go for it, maybe we don't get that point."
 
"I don't think there's a team we can't compete with if we're playing the right way. Marist, Fairfield, Siena, the teams that are at the top, we lost in five sets, or against Fairfield we lost three really tight sets with a lot of people off the floor. I think there's a lot we can take away from this." – Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
"I feel like being up the whole day gives me time to get in the right mindset of what I need to do on the court to help my team get the victory. Getting this win was a big deal for us, especially over the two seed when we've been facing a lot of adversity."
 
"I've been practicing hard , trying to focus on my weaknesses and I'm proving it on the court. I was just really positive today, and my teammates really fed off that." – Freshman Outside Hitter Kianny Santiago
 
- Iona leads the all-time series 29-18 after the teams split the season series this year.
- Iafrate led the Broncs with a career-high 26 digs, the first time in her career with over 20 digs and fourth match in double figures this season.
- Romano posted her sixth double-double of the season with 11 kills and a season-high 21 digs.
- Julia Slivka (Adamstown, MD/Tuscarora) tied a career-high with 13 digs and added 21 assists for her fifth double-double of the year.
- Santiago set a career-high with 17 kills to lead the Broncs, her third double-digit kill math of the season.
- Schrader had a season-high 15 kills, her third time in double figures this year.
- Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) had 11 digs, her ninth time in double figures this season.
- Iona's Hope Matschner had 43 digs, the second-most in a four-set match in the nation this season.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Rider hit .197 in the match to the Gaels' .128.
- Rider had nine aces to just three for Iona.
- Both teams were fantastic in keeping the ball off the floor. Iona finished with 95 digs to 92 for Rider.
- Sydney Bond (Homestead, FL/Westminster Christian School) led Rider with 22 assists.
- Koch led the Broncs with seven blocks.

UP NEXT
Rider visits Saint Peter's for a match on Saturday. First serve is at 1 p.m.