Rider University Athletics

HAMDEN, CT - The Rider University volleyball team was defeated in four sets Friday night, falling at Quinnipiac, 25-19, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23. The Broncs fall to 5-14 on the season, and 4-6 in Metro play, while the Bobcats improve to 8-13 overall, and 7-3 in conference play.
 
Tied 4-4 in the opening set, Quinnipiac took the lead with a 4-0 run. Down 13-7, Rider scored three-straight led by a block and a kill from Tori Bonacci (Downingtown, PA/Bishop Shanahan), but the Broncs would get no closer in the opening set.
 
The Broncs fought back in set two. After falling behind 13-6, Rider got back into the set with a 5-0 run, capped by an ace from Simone Langford (Hollywood, FL/Flanagan). Trailing 17-16, Rider took control of the set with a 6-0 run on Bonacci's serve. An ace from Rylah Robinson (Fairfax, VA/Robinson) would later close out the set and even the match.
 
The Broncs came out of the break strong using a pair of 3-0 runs to take an early 6-2 lead. With Rider up 14-10, the Bobcats came back to take the lead in the set with a 5-0 run. An ace by Langford would put the Broncs up 20-18, but the Bobcats countered with a 4-0 run for the final lead change of the set.
 
The fourth set was tight early. Tied 8-8, Quinnipiac scored four-straight to create the first separation in the set. Down 19-15, the Broncs scored four-straight with a Carly Allen (Buffalo, NY/Sacred Heart Academy) ace tying the set 19-19. Tied 21-21, the Bobcats scored two-straight, then the teams alternated points with the Bobcats holding on for the set and the match.
 
QUOTES & NOTES
- Quinnipiac extends its lead in the all-time series to 19-15.
- Makenna Mason (Hilton Head Island, SC/Hilton Head) had 39 assists, giving her 19 matches this season and 96 matches in her career with double digits.
- Langford finished with 12 digs, reaching double figures for the 14^th time this season and 26^th time in her career.
- Robinson had a team-high 13 kills, reaching double figures for the seventh time this season and 27^th time in her career. She added a career-high tying 12 digs for her first double-double of the season and second of her career.
- Olivia DeSaro (Holland, PA/Council Rock South) had 10 digs to reach double figures for the first time in her career.
- Bonacci finished with 11 kills to reach double figures for the fifth time in her freshman season.
- Molly Rohde (Hortonville, WI/Hortonville) had three blocks to give her 409 for her career, moving her into third in program history.

BRONCS BY THE NUMBERS
- The Broncs hit .181 in the match, while the Bobcats hit .254 as a team.
- Quinnipiac had 53 kills to 47 for Rider.
- The Bobcats had 60 digs to 51 for the Broncs.
- Rider finished with a 7-6 advantage in blocks and a 7-4 edge in aces.
 
UP NEXT
- The Broncs are back in action Saturday, traveling to Merrimack for a 2 p.m. match.