FAIRFIELD, CT - The Rider University volleyball team was defeated in the MAAC Championship Match Sunday afternoon, falling to top-seed and host Fairfield, 26-24, 25-18, 25-12. The Broncs conclude the season at 16-16 overall, while the Stags improve to 25-5 on the season.
 
Down 3-1 in the opening set, the Broncs went one a 6-0 run, led by a pair of aces from Keegan O'Connor (Weatherford, TX/Weatherford). Later in the set, leading 16-14, Rider added on another 4-0 run, capped by three-straight Carley McAleavey (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown West) kills. Fairfield responded with a 4-0 run of its own, later tying the set 23-23. Rider got the next point to secure the first set point of the match, but three-straight points by the Stags earned Fairfield the opening set.
 
After the Stags scored the opening point in set two, Rider got four-straight points, capped by a kill from Brynn Johnson (River Falls, WI/River Falls). With Rider leading 9-8, back-to-back kills from Kiannisha Santiago (San Juan, PR/Hudson Catholic (NJ)) started a 3-0 run to extend the lead. But with Rider up 17-13, the Stags made their move with an 8-0 run that flipped the set, then Fairfield extended the run to 12-1 to go up two sets to none.
 
In set three, it was the Stags jumping out to the early lead, going up 41-, then up 7-5, using a 7-0 run to push the lead to nine. Leading 14-6, Fairfield continued to pull away with a 5-0 run, going on to win the final set.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
"It's not the outcome we wanted to fight for, but this team is an incredible group of young women. We had chances in sets one and two but the Fairfield serve/pass game got the best of us. 

I'm incredibly proud of this team and how they overcame setbacks throughout the season. For these seniors, it was great to reach the final match after being knocked out in the semifinals the past three years. To be able to experience this with them was a blessing. Special thanks to Keegan, Kianny, Anji, Brynn, and Carley for trusting in this program and giving all they could to it. I hope the underclasses can learn from their example in many ways. Proud across the board, but wished we could have gotten that victory for the team, alumni, and Rider." - Rider Head Coach Jeff Rotondo

- The Stags won the lone regular-season meeting between the teams in addition to the postseason match and now lead the all-time series 48-5.
- Santiago and O'Connor were both named to the All-Tournament team.
- Makenna Mason (Hilton Head Island, SC/Hilton Head) had 25 assists for her 30^th match this season and 76^th match in her career with double digits. She finishes her junior season with 1,031 assists on the year, the seventh-highest total in a single season in program history. She will enter her senior year ranked seventh in program history with 1,908 career assists.
- Santiago finishes her Rider career with 1,143 career kills, graduating fifth in program history. Her 435 kills this season rank seventh in a single season in program history. Her 3.09 career kills per set are fifth in program history and her 3.94 kills per set this season rank eighth.
- McAleavey finishes the year with a .345 hitting percentage, fourth-best in a single season in program history. Her .295 career hitting percentage ranks third in program history and her 276 career blocks are ninth-best in program history.
- O'Connor closes out her career with 1,255 career digs, 10^th-most in program history. Her 3.37 career digs per set rank seventh in program history.
- Molly Rohde (Hortonville, WI/Hortonville) ends her junior season with 338 total blocks, and will enter her senior season ranked seventh in program history.
 
BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .137 in the match, while the Stags hit .225 as a team.
- Fairfield had 36 kills to 30 for Rider. Santiago led the Broncs with nine kills in the match.
- The Stags had 41 digs to 30 for the Broncs. O'Connor had eight digs to lead Rider.
- Fairfield held edges of 13-3 in aces and 8-4 in blocks.