College Volleyball
Iona College 3, Rider University 2
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Match
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.--Freshman Jaclyn Webber (Anaheim, Calif./Canyon) had 16 digs and 16 kills with junior Brittany Gajewski (Whitehouse Station/Hunterdon Central Regional) adding 31 digs as Rider lost a five-set Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match on Saturday at Iona.
"We didn't get the win but we played a heck of a match," said head coach Christopher Feliciano. "It was great to see the growth of the team. Iona played a strong match, they hustled and we kept right with them. We played with consistency."
The Gaels won in come from behind fashion 26-24, 21-25, 24-26, 25-21, 15-13 in a match that featured 32 ties and 15 lead changes.
Also for Rider (4-14, 2-4 MAAC), sophomore Bridget Sheerin (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) and freshman Kayla Wong (Tustin, Calif./Arnold O. Beckman) each had 12 kills with freshman Ashlee Amatulli (Menifee, Calif./Temecula Valley) compiling 25 assists and 12 digs. Sheerin added seven digs and six blocks.
Junior Stephanie Nagy (Muscatine, Iowa/Muscatine) added seven blocks for the Broncs with sophomore Megan Knott (West Caldwell/James Caldwell) compiling five blocks and four digs.
"We made some lineup adjustments and Megan Knott and Brittany (Gajewski) really stepped up and played well," Feliciano said. "They did a brilliant job allowing us to give Iona different looks. I'm proud of both of them and the rest of the team."
This was Rider's second five-set loss in a row and third five-set loss in the last five matches.
The Gaels lead the all-time series 22-3 with Rider last winning against Iona in 1999. Iona defeated the Broncs three times last season, 3-0 in New Rochelle, 3-0 in Lawrenceville and 3-1 in the MAAC playoffs at Walt Disney World in Florida.
Rider travels to Fairfield for a MAAC match on Sunday. The Stags defeated Loyola 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
"It was a battle that we couldn't pull off but I'm proud of the players," Feliciano said. "We bounced back from a match that we should have won on Wednesday night (against La Salle). We took ownership of how we played and made adjustments today."
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