Broncs get lassoed in Tennessee Tournament

By Lindsay Scarola

The Broncs traveled south to participate in the University of Tennessee Tournament, falling to the Tennessee Volunteers 0-3 on Sept. 18 and Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical  University  2-3 on Sept. 19. 

Knocked in Knoxville

The Broncs stayed within the Lady Vols in the opening set before trailing 7-5. 

A pair of 5-0 runs by Tennessee created a commanding lead over Rider. The Lady Vols took set one, 25-13. 

Rider had an early lead in the second until Tennessee took control. 

The Lady Vols scored 14 points taking a 14-6 lead, but the Broncs reeled off 10 points pulling within 18-16, forcing a Tennessee timeout and the Lady Vols taking set two, 25-18. 

Tying it up early in the third, the Lady Vols pulled away with 10 points, ultimately closing out the match with a 25-11 third set victory, sweeping the Broncs. 

With the trip being the first in program history, Head Coach Jeff Rotondo said, “We definitely had some nerves in the first set, playing against No.24 in their huge arena. We settled in and competed well in set two.” 

Five-Set Thriller

After a rough matchup, the team carried a new mentality in their next game. 

“After competing well against Tennessee, we wanted to carry that same intensity into the Alabama A&M game,” senior libero Keegan O’Connor said.

Rider was able to keep pace with Alabama A&M in the first set, tying it 11-11, but the Bulldogs slowly gained traction and began pulling away from the Broncs. 

A pair of 4-0 Alabama A&M runs gave them the edge to take the first set 25-18. 

In set two, the Broncs scored eight straight points with seven on graduate middle hitter Carley McAleavey’s serve. 

Creating separation between the two teams, the Broncs led 17-7. They stayed in control for the remainder of the set, winning the second 25-20. 

Similar to set two, Rider surged early in the third to take a 7-3 advantage on O’Connor’s serve. 

The Bulldogs shortened the lead to one on four different occasions, but Rider was able to maintain it. 

The Broncs closed the set on a 7-0 run during junior outside hitter Rylan Robinson’s serve, taking set three, 25-17. 

In a fourth matchup, the Bulldogs scored eight of the first 10 points in the set. This early edge allowed them to win 25-16, forcing the final set. 

In a race to 15 points, Alabama A&M scored five of the first six points, creating a sizable gap for the Broncs to fill. 

Alabama A&M did not trail for the rest of the game, with the Bulldogs taking a decisive set 15-8, having an overall victory of 3-2. 

The Broncs will travel to Marist University on Sept. 26 starting Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at 7 p.m.