PRINCETON, NJ – The Rider University volleyball team took a set off Princeton Wednesday night, but ultimately could not defeat the Tigers in the Battle of 206 falling three sets to one. The Broncs drop to 2-8 on the season, while the Tigers improve to 5-2.
 
Tied 6-6 in the opening set, Princeton won three-straight points, the only three-point rally in the entire set. Both offenses dominated as Rider hit .433, but the Tigers hit .750 to take the opening set 25-19.
 
The second set played out much like the first, with the offenses dominating play. Down 16-15, Rider scored four-straight points, bookended by kills from Nicole Wilkinson (New Castle, IN/New Castle). The Broncs maintained the lead, taking the set 25-23.
 
Princeton took over in the third, jumping out to a 10-3 lead. Trailing 18-10, Rider scored three-straight points on the serve of Julia Slivka (Adamstown, MD/Tuscarora), including an ace, one of two for Slivka in the match. The Tiger quickly closed out the set from that that moment however, taking the set 25-16.
 
The Tigers carried the momentum into the fourth set, jumping out to a 6-0 lead. Princeton never looked back, not allowing the Broncs to score more than two consecutive points in a 25-11 set.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"A little bit of a roller coaster tonight. We tightened it up a bit at the end of the first set, then the second set was back and forth. We started to slow down some of the things they were doing offensively, but we couldn't carry any momentum into the third. It just got away from us early."
 
"I was glad to see our offense pick up, but our block and defense was just very average. We have to clean that up. To Princeton's credit, they exposed every hole in our block."
 
"It definitely helped to get our middles going with Carley and Nicole doing a good job. And it was obviously good to see Jenna and Tori back on the positive side of swinging." – Head Coach Jeff Rotondo
 
"I think this team exposed our weaknesses, but it also showed us what we need to work on."
 
"It comes down to setting our block well, and being in the right position. We know we can always improve and get better, and it just makes us a stronger team when we get to conference play."
 
"It was nice to see other Rider students here, especially with the big Princeton crowd. I could feel the excitement; it helps to have that community of support." – Senior Libero Pamela Loh
 
- Princeton extends its lead in the all-time series to 16-4.
- Rider won a set in Princeton for the first time since 1994.
- Morgan Romano (Oviedo, FL/Hagerty) finished with double-digit kills for the sixth time this season, finishing with a team-high 15.
- Carley McAleavey (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) reached double-digit kills for the first time in her career, with 12 on .450 hitting.
- Tori Schrader (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) had double-digit kills for the first time this season, recording 10.
- Pamela Loh (Cortlandt Manor, NY/Hendrick Hudson) had 17 digs, her sixth match this season with double-digit digs.
- Molly Strah (Akron, OH/Archbishop Hoban) had 12 digs, her second double-digit digs match this season.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .284 in the match, to Princeton's .500.
- Princeton had 72 kills to 56 for the Broncs.
- The Tigers held an 8-3 advantage in the match in blocks.
- Loh's 17 digs led the Broncs to go along with Strah's 12. Jenna Amaro (Davie, FL/Archbishop McCarthy) added five.

UP NEXT
Rider plays in Alumni Gym for the first time this season when the Broncs open MAAC play against Saint Peter's Saturday at 1 p.m.