LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University volleyball team took the opening two sets Sunday afternoon, but ultimately fell in five sets via reverse sweep to Marist. The Broncs fall to 4-11 on the season, and 2-3 in league play. The Red Foxes improve to 9-7 overall, and 5-1 in the MAAC.
 
As has become customary for the Broncs, the first set was tight throughout. Down 17-14, Marist scored five-straight points to lead 19-17, but Rider came right back tying the score at 19-19, 21-21, 22-22, 23-23, and 24-24, before Brynn Johnson (River Falls, WI/River Falls) and Christina Blount (Liberty Township, OH/Lakota East) made back-to-back kills to close out the set 26-24.
 
Rider struggled out of the gate in the second, falling behind 5-1. Down 10-5, Rider went on an 8-2 run, including four kills and an ace by Jenna Amaro (Davie, FL/Archbishop McCarthy) to take the lead. Down 17-16, Blount bookended a pair of kills on a 4-0 run, and the Broncs never looked back, winning the set 25-22.
 
The tide began to turn in the third. Leading 10-9, the Red Foxes went on a 4-0 run and controlled the set from there on out. Down 23-16, the Broncs showed fight with a 4-0 run to cut the lead to three, but Marist closed out the set 25-22.
 
The fourth set was a tale of runs. Tied 6-6, Marist scored four-straight. Then down 11-7, Rider responded with a 4-0 run of its own. Tied 17-17, Marist went on another 4-0 run, that Rider countered to even the score at 22-22. But Marist would again find the solution to take the set 25-23.
 
Marist finally broke Rider midway through the fifth. Down 7-6, Marist scored four-straight points. Then after Rider crawled back into the set and trimmed the deficit to 12-11, Marist closed out the match with three-straight points.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"A pretty back and forth, a little bit crazy. Much different than yesterday, you saw the energy that we came out with today."
 
"I definitely was happy with our effort and our ability to fight today. Today was better in that aspect."
 
"We got a little comfortable when we got up today. We have to figure out how to close out matches. Carley and Nina had two really good days in a row." – Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
"Marist is always a good team, but we are too. There were some other key factors that played into the loss today, we just need to keep our high energy. Obviously, we play them again in the regular season, and that should be another good match like today."
 
"We have confidence in all of our hitters, but it's easy to set Morgan. She's great. We just need to get better in those higher leverage situations." – Sophomore Setter Sydney Bond
 
- Marist extends its lead in the all-time series to 31-21. The match today went five sets after both matches last season did the same.
- Romano led the Broncs with 22 kills on .340 hitting. It was her ninth double-digit kill match of the season.
- Blount had a career-high 13 kills to go along with five blocks.
- Carley McAleavey (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) had 11 kills on .375 hitting, her fourth time in double figures this season.
- Amaro was the fourth Bronc with double-digit kills, finishing with 12, her fifth double-digit kill match of the year.
- Alicia Iafrate (Closter, NJ/Demarest) had a career-high 18 digs to lead the Broncs.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .226 in the match, to Marist's .222.
- Rider had 63 kills to 62 for the Red Foxes.
- Rider finished with 10 blocks, to just eight for Marist.
- Marist had 79 digs to just 61 for the Broncs.
- Sydney Bond (Homestead, FL/Westminster Christian) led the Broncs with 31 assists in the match.
- Romano had six blocks in the match to lead the Broncs.

UP NEXT
Rider heads back on the road for the Buffalo trip, beginning with a 1 p.m. start on Saturday at Niagara.