Friday, August 26, 2022 / Saturday, August 27, 2022
dōTERRA Classic
Rider Broncs (0-0) vs. #10 BYU Cougars (0-0) / RV Washington State Cougars (0-0) / Duke Blue Devils (0-0)
Location: Provo, UT
Time: 2 p.m. / 7 p.m. / 6 p.m.
Live Video –BYUtv APP
Live Stats – BYUCougars.com – BYU / Washington State / Duke
 
What You Need To Know
- All matches at the dōTERRA Classic will be streamed on the BYUtv APP.
- The Broncs were selected second by the league's coaches in the MAAC Preseason Poll. Rider finished second behind Fairfield during the regular season and reached the MAAC Championship match before falling to the Stags.
-The Broncs won a program-record 14 MAAC matches to earn a program-best two seed in last year's tournament. The Broncs had previously finished third in 2004, 2018, and 2019.
- Friday's match against BYU is the first regular-season match against a ranked opponent for the Broncs since the team faced then no. 5 USC to kick off the 2014 season.
- Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) was named to First-Team All-MAAC honors by the league last season. Romano was also named to the preseason All-MAAC team.
- With another All-Conference honor, Romano would become the first player in program history to earn four All-MAAC honors during her career.
- Romano now has 1,229 career kills, good for fourth in program history. Next on the list is Hailey Riede '19, who ended her career with 1,307.
- The Broncs will have to replace Anilee Sher at the setter position. Sher joined the University of New Mexico as a graduate transfer after graduating as Rider's single match, single season, and career record holder in assists.
- In addition to Romano, Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) returns to the starting lineup after finishing second on the team in kills a season ago.
- Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) enters her senior season with 730 career digs. She is attempting to become just the 16^th Bronc in program history to reach 1,000 for her career.
- The Broncs will be playing each of their three opponents over the weekend for the first time.
- BYU reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Cougars are led by returning All-American setter Whitney Bower. BYU is currently on a 25-match home winning streak, the longest in the country.
- Washington State has made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons and was receiving votes in the first AVCA Coaches Poll. The Cougars feature a pair of returning All-Americans in middle blocker Magda Jehlarova and outside hitter Pia Timmer.
- Duke lost several players from a season ago as nine of the team's 18 players are newcomers. Gracie Johnson in the top returner for the Blue Devils. A true six-rotation player, Johnson finished second on the team a season ago in both kills and digs, while also leading the team in aces.