Rider splits weekend matches, secures 3rd place in MAAC

By Lindsay Scarola

During its home stretch before the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament, Rider volleyball dropped a match against the Fairfield Stags 3-2 on Nov. 16 before besting the Sacred Heart Pioneers 3-1 for Senior Day on Nov. 17.  

Down to the wire

Rider ended its seven-game win streak with its match against Fairfield, where they lost, 3-2. 

The Broncs had a 7-2 run to lead the first set 21-17. Combo blocks by junior outside hitter Kiannisha Santiago and sophomore middle hitter Molly Rohde contributed to Rider’s 25-17 win in the first match. 

Down 19-15 in the second set, Rider rallied five points for the lead. In a back and forth battle, the Stags were victorious, taking the set 25-21. 

The Broncs led by two before going on a 6-1 run in the third match, making the score 22-15. Aces by junior libero Keegan O’Connor and senior setter Ryley Frye allowed for a 25-17 win. 

Already up 9-7 in the fourth game, Fairfield took over after scoring eight points for a score of 17-8, a nine-point deficit Rider could not recover from. The Stags took the set 25-15, forcing a fifth round. 

The Broncs controlled the start of the final match; however, once the score was 8-6, the momentum flipped, and the Stags outscored Rider, leading Fairfield to a 15-9 set win and a 3-2 victory. 

Senior Day

The last game of the regular season was Rider’s Senior Day, honoring the graduating Broncs, junior middle hitter Carley McAleavey and Frye. In front of its home crowd, Rider secured a 3-1 win against Sacred Heart. 

The Broncs jumped out to an early lead of 4-1 in the first game. The Pioneers rallied in an attempt to catch up, but they ultimately fell short, losing 25-22. 

Rohde started the second set with a pair of blocks to give Rider a 4-1 lead. A 15-11 lead soon became a 17-16 deficit after Sacred Heart went on its own run. 

As Rider lost control over the game and the score became tied at 24, the Broncs called a timeout. 

“We pointed out some things technically [that] we can be better at,” said Head Coach Jeff Rotondo. 

The quick reset paid off, as sophomore opposite hitter Anja Kelly and sophomore outside hitter Paige Giehtbrock had back-to-back kills, ending the set with Rider earning a 26-24 win. 

In the third game, Sacred Heart led 19-17 until they finished it off with a victory, 25-18.

Rider gradually built its lead in the fourth game, 19-12, but at 22-17 Sacred Heart went on a 5-0 run, tying the set. Santiago had a kill and a block, pushing Rider to a 25-22 win. The Broncs played for their seniors, having a huge win over Sacred Heart, 3-1. 

Frye said getting to be a part of the Broncs volleyball culture as a captain was meaningful: “There’s a lot of teams around the country that don’t enjoy being together, but we really enjoy each other and we love being together, so I’m really gonna miss the girls.”

Despite graduating early, McAleavey said she loved her time as a Bronc: “I’m just gonna miss my built-in family. As soon as I stepped foot on the court and stepped in the gym the first day I was a freshman, I had 18 best friends.”

Rider finished the regular season with an overall record of 15-16 and a conference record of 14-4, currently sitting at third in the MAAC with a first-round bye in the tournament.

The MAAC tournament lasts from Nov. 21-24. The Broncs will play on Nov. 22 in the second round at 7 p.m.