LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Despite outhitting the opposition, the Rider University volleyball team suffered a four-set loss Saturday afternoon to Canisius. The Broncs fall to 8-17 overall and 6-9 in league play. The Golden Griffins get to 11-13 overall and 9-6 in MAAC play.
 
Canisius jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the opening set. Leading 18-10, the Golden Griffins served out the set with another 7-0 run.
 
The Golden Griffins started out the second set hot again, going up 6-1. Down 18-13, Rider went on a 6-2 run, including three kills by Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin), that cut the lead to just one. Leading 23-22, Canisius once again had the answer, scoring the final two sets of the point to win 25-22.
 
Rider finally found the answer in the third set, jumping out to a 7-3 lead on the serve of Carley McAleavey (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West). The Broncs maintained the lead throughout the set, claiming a 25-18 victory.
 
In the fourth, Rider went ahead early 5-1. Leading 8-5, Rider scored 6-straight, including a pair of aces by Keegan O'Connor (Weatherford, TX/Weatherford) to extend the advantage to 14-5.  Down 18-10, Canisius made their run, scoring 10 of the next 11 points to take a 20-19 lead. The Golden Griffins held a 24-22 lead with two match points, when Rider scored three straight to stave off elimination, but Canisius went on a 3-0 run of their own to close out the match, 27-25.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"We've had this issue before where we come out very flat and that came back to haunt us again today. We fought back and there were a couple calls that didn't go our way, but we have to find a way to be resilient after that."
 
"We've battled consistency throughout the year, and it's been difficult to put a finger on. It's there, it's in them and we need to tap into the right area of their brain during the match when it doesn't go their way, to figure it out and get back to a level of consistency."
 
"Tori played well, Kianny came in and did some good things. Carley and Nina did some good things as well. Keegan coming back and putting on the libero jersey again for the first time. The problem is we can't get aced 16 times. You just can't get aced that many times in a match and expect to win." – Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
"The beginning was really rough, we should never lose a set that way. We picked it up and turned it around the next three sets, and the energy was much better. We feed off of each other."
 
"We're over halfway through the season, and we have nothing to lose. At this point, I'm in there swinging as hard as I can. I'm going to be there for my teammates and push myself in every way and try to push my teammates as well." – Junior Outside Hitter Tori Schrader
 
- Canisius earns the sweep of the series sweep and extends in lead in the all-time series to 32-15.
- Schrader led Rider with 13 kills on .324 hitting. She has six double-digit kill matches this season.
- McAleavey finished with 10 kills on .500 hitting, her sixth time in double figures this season.
- Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) led Rider with 16 digs, her seventh time in double figures this year.
- O'Connor had 15 digs in her return to the court. She has reached double-digit digs in six matches this season.
- Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) had 14 digs, her fourth match in double figures this year.
- Alicia Iafrate (Closter, NJ/Demarest) finished with 10 digs, her eighth match in double figures this season.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- Rider hit .180 in the match to the Golden Griffins' .151.
- Rider had 81 digs in the match to 78 for Canisius.
- The service line is where the difference was made with Canisius serving 16 aces to just five for Rider.
- Julia Slivka (Adamstown, MD/Tuscarora) just missed a double-double with a team-high 22 assists and nine digs.
- Romano and Kianny Santiago (San Juan, PR/Hudson Catholic (NJ)) each added nine kills.

UP NEXT
Rider is back in action in Alumni Gym against Niagara on Sunday at 1 p.m. Prior to the match, the team will honor its five graduating seniors.