LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider University volleyball team has announced its 2026 schedule Thursday featuring three early season tournaments, a midweek contest on the road at Penn, and the traditional 18-match Metro slate.

The Broncs will travel to open the campaign with the trio of tournaments on the road before visiting Penn for a final tune up before league play begins.

The MAAC Championships begin Nov. 17 with first-round matches, then continues with the semi-finals and Nov. 21-22.


Temple Tournament
 
Temple
Friday, Aug. 28 * Philadelphia, PA

Series History: Temple leads, 13-0
Last Meeting: Temple, 3-1 (Oct. 23, 2024; Lawrenceville, NJ)
2025 Record: 16-15 (5-11 AAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: The Broncs and Owl last met during the 2024 season, when an Alumni Gym record crowd for a volleyball match saw the Broncs force extra points in the opening two sets, before Rider claimed the third in the four-set Temple victory. Rylah Robinson led Rider with 12 kills in that match.
 
Norfolk State
Saturday, Aug. 29 * Philadelphia, PA

Series History: Rider leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-0 (Sept. 7, 2019; Radford, VA)
2025 Record: 5-24 (3-11 MEAC)
2025 Postseason: MEAC Quarterfinals
Quickly: The Broncs and Spartans met just once before, at the Radford Tournament in 2019. Morgan Romano led Rider with 14 kills in the straight-set victory.
 
SIUE
Saturday, Aug. 29 * Philadelphia, PA

Series History: First Ever Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2025 Record: 12-18 (7-11 OVC)
2025 Postseason: OVC First Round
Quickly: The Broncs and Cougars will meet for the first time ever to close out the opening week tournament.
 
Lou Carnesecca Invitational
St. John's
Friday, Sept. 4 * Queens, NY

Series History: St. John's leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: St. John's, 3-0 (Sept. 1, 1996; Cantonsville, MD)
2025 Record: 10-19 (6-10 Big East)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: The Broncs and Red Storm meet for the first time since an early season tournament before any player on either roster was born.
 
East Texas A&M
Friday, Sept. 4 * Queens, NY

Series History: First Ever Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2025 Record: 9-19 (7-9 Southland)
2025 Postseason: Southland Quarterfinals
Quickly: The Broncs will have their second new opponent of the season with East Texas A&M as part of the Lou Carnesecca Invitational.
 
UAB
Saturday, Sept. 5 * Queens, NY

Series History: First Ever Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2025 Record: 13-15 (6-10 AAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: The Broncs will have their third new opponent of the season and second in a row when closing out the Lou Carnesecca Invitational against UAB.
 
Rutgers Tournament
 
Delaware
Thursday, Sept. 10 * Piscataway, NJ

Series History: Delaware leads, 15-4
Last Meeting: Delaware, 3-1 (Sept. 10, 2023; Newark, DE)
2025 Record: 8-17 (5-11 CUSA)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: The Broncs took the opening set off of the Blue Hens in the last meeting in 2023, before ultimately falling in four sets. Ryley Frye led Rider with a 16-assist, 10-dig double-double in the match.
 
Stony Brook
Friday, Sept. 11 * Piscataway, NJ

Series History: Stony Brook leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: Stony Brook, 3-0 (Sept. 10, 2010; Bronx, NY)
2025 Record: 12-15 (7-9 CAA)
2025 Postseason: CAA Semifinals
Quickly: The teams have not met since the Rose Hill Classic hosted by Fordham in 2010. The Seawolves upset Towson in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament last season.
 
Rutgers
Saturday, Sept. 12 * Piscataway, NJ

Series History: Rutgers leads, 17-5
Last Meeting: Rutgers, 3-0 (Sept. 10, 2025; Piscataway, NJ)
2025 Record: 12-20 (3-17 B1G Ten)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: The Broncs are playing in the Rutgers Invitational for the second-straight season. Last year in the match at Piscataway, Makenna Mason recorded her 1,000^th-career assist in the match.
 
Penn
Saturday, Sept. 12 * Philadelphia, PA

Series History: Penn leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Penn, 3-0 (Sept. 21, 1996; Philadelphia, PA)
2025 Record: 12-12 (6-8 Ivy)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: Another opponent the Broncs have not seen in 30 years, the Broncs and Quakers last played in 1996, a three-set Penn victory.
 
Marist
METRO Match
Friday, Sept. 25 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Marist leads, 34-26
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-0 (Nov. 15, 2025; Lawrenceville, NJ)
2025 Record: 10-20 (8-10 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: The Broncs swept the season series a year ago, including a straight-set victory at home on senior day. Kiannisha Santiago had nine kills and seven blocks in that victory. Rider has won four-straight over the Red Foxes.
 
Siena
METRO Match
Saturday, Sept. 26 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Siena leads, 30-23
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-0 (Nov. 18, 2025; Lawrenceville, NJ)
2025 Record: 14-19 (9-9 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: MAAC Tournament First Round
Quickly: Rider extended its win streak in the all-time series to eight by winning three matches over the Saints a season ago. Rider won in four sets in both of the regular season meetings, before topping Siena 3-0 in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament behind 11 kills from Brynn Johnson.
 
Saint Peter's
MAAC Matches
Tuesday, Sept. 29 * Jersey City, NJ
Tuesday, Oct. 27 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Rider leads, 43-21
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-0 (Oct. 28, 2025; Jersey City, NJ)
2025 Record: 7-22 (2-16 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: Rider has won 13-straight matches over the Peacocks, and 21 of the last 22 meetings, including sweeps in both meetings last season. Makenna Mason had a double-double in the second meeting last year with 30 assists and 11 digs.
 
Canisius
METRO Matches
Friday, Oct. 2 * Alumni Gym
Saturday, Oct. 31 * Buffalo, NY

Series History: Canisius leads, 34-18
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-2 (Nov. 1, 2025; Lawrenceville, NJ)
2025 Record: 12-18 (9-9 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: MAAC Semifinals
Quickly: Rider and Canisius split a pair of five-set matches last season with both teams winning on their home floors. Six of the last nine meetings in the series have gone five sets and none of the last 10 meetings between the squads have been a sweep.
 
Niagara
METRO Matches
Saturday, Oct. 3 * Alumni Gym
Friday, Oct. 30 * Niagara University, NY

Series History: Niagara leads, 25-23
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-1 (Oct. 31, 2025; Lawrenceville, NJ)
2025 Record: 12-15 (12-6 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: MAAC First Round
Quickly: Rider earned a sweep of the Purple Eagles last season, winning both matches in four sets. In the home meeting last year, Kiannisha Santiago had a career-high 25 kills in that win.
 
Sacred Heart
METRO Matches
Friday, Oct. 9 * Fairfield, CT
Saturday, Nov. 7 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Rider leads, 8-3
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-1 (Oct. 3, 2025; Lawrenceville, NJ)
2025 Record: 11-19 (8-10 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: Rider won the lone meeting between the teams last season when Kiannisha Santiago, Erynn Gotsch, and Rylah Robinson all had double-digit kills in the four-set win.
 
Fairfield
METRO Matches
Saturday, Oct. 10 * Fairfield, CT
Friday, Nov. 6 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Fairfield leads, 48-5
Last Meeting: Fairfield, 3-0 (Nov. 23, 2025; Fairfield, CT)
2025 Record: 25-6 (17-1 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: MAAC Champions; NCAA Tournament First Round
Quickly: The Broncs fell to the Stags in the only regular season meeting before Fairfield also took down Rider in the MAAC Championship Match.
 
Iona
METRO Matches
Friday, Oct. 16 * Alumni Gym
Saturday, Nov. 14 * New Rochelle, NY

Series History: Iona leads, 30-22
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-2 (Oct. 24, 2025; New Rochelle, NY)
2025 Record: 11-21 (6-12 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: Rider won the lone meeting between the teams last season with a reverse sweep. Makenna Mason had 57 assists in the victory. Rider has won four-straight over the Gaels.
 
Manhattan
METRO Matches
Saturday, Oct. 17 * Alumni Gym
Friday, Nov. 13 * Riverdale, NY

Series History: Manhattan leads, 32-25
Last Meeting: Manhattan, 3-1 (Oct. 25, 2025; Riverdale, NY)
2025 Record: 4-24 (2-16 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: Kiannisha Santiago had 24 kills in the lone meeting last season, but the Broncs were topped in four sets.
 
Quinnipiac
METRO Match
Friday, Oct. 16 * Hamden, CT

Series History: Quinnipiac leads, 18-15
Last Meeting: Rider, 3-1 (Nov. 22, 2025; Fairfield, CT)
2025 Record: 19-12 (16-2 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: MAAC Semifinals
Quickly: After being swept by the Bobcats during the regular season last year, the Broncs pulled off the upset in the MAAC Semifinals, topping the Bobcats in four sets to reach the MAAC Championship match. Carley McAleavey had 10 kills and five blocks in the tournament victory.
 
Merrimack
METRO Matches
Saturday, Oct. 24 * North Andover, MA

Series History: Rider leads, 4-1
Last Meeting: Merrimack, 3-0 (Nov. 7, 2025; North Andover, MA)
2025 Record: 9-18 (7-11 MAAC)
2025 Postseason: None
Quickly: The Broncs and Warriors split the season series last year with both teams sweeping on their home courts. In the win, Rider got a strong performance from the back line with Keegan O'Connor getting 11 digs and Simone Langford adding 10.