Rider made quick work of the Red Foxes, promptly sweeping them with a blowout third-set victory after previously winning two hard-fought sets.
Sunday afternoon’s match against Rider (12-15, 11-3 MAAC Conference) acted as a key test for the Red Foxes (3-21, 3-11 MAAC), winners of their two previous games. The Broncs entered play riding high, winning their last four games and holding a 10-3 record in MAAC action. Tied with Quinnipiac for second place behind Fairfield, Rider is a contender to win the conference this season.
Marist had no answer on defense for Rider’s attack, both on swings and serves. The Broncs slammed 41 kills at an impressive .326 hitting percentage while scoring 11 aces in addition to plenty of serves that threw the Red Foxes out-of-system.
“We got out-physicalled,” said Marist head coach Sean Byron. “Some of it was our first touch not being great and some of it is us not being able to be as physical as we needed to be.”
Kiannisha Santiago did the heavy lifting for Rider; the junior outside hitter led the team with 15 kills and added on three aces. Her 15 kills came on only 22 attempts and only committed two errors, resulting in an astounding .591 hitting percentage.
Marist on the other hand, is fighting to earn a spot in this year’s MAAC tournament, which will feature the top eight teams in the conference. Before the loss to Rider, Marist sat two games back of Merrimack, with five games to play, including one against the eighth-place Warriors. The Red Foxes likely needed to win three of their final five games to clinch a spot in the postseason, and today’s loss made the task much more difficult.
Both offensives looked sharp early in the first, highlighted by three early kills from sophomore middle blocker Trinity Woods. Marist took control midway through the set when a smooth set from graduate student setter Jamison White put the ball on a tee for sophomore outside hitter Sara Dasic, who smashed it for a kill to put Marist up 14-10.
But from there, it was all Broncs for the remainder of the set; Rider scored 15 of the next 18 points to handily win the set 25-17. Rider rattled off seven straight after Dasic’s kill, flipping a four-point deficit into a three-point advantage.
“When you get a little separation in the score, it allows you to take more chances,” said Byron.
Santiago dominated the set at the net and service line sets. She landed six kills and gave Marist fits with her top-spin serve, which is uncommon in women’s volleyball compared to men’s. During a 5-0 run late in the set, Santiago bounced three consecutive aces past the Red Foxes’ back row.
Once again, Rider used a lengthy scoring streak to separate themselves from the Red Foxes. A six-point stretch put the Broncs up five, but this time, Marist rallied back. The Red Foxes tied the score at 18, thanks to a missile from Miller, who had previously got Marist within one on a thunderous solo block.
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Though Marist even took the lead back at 19-18, Rider sprinted to 25 for the second consecutive set. The Broncs won seven of the last nine points, partly thanks to back-to-back aces from junior libero Keegan O’Connor. Rider’s 25-21 victory put Marist in a 2-0, which proved too much to overcome.
After a back-and-forth start to the set, senior setter Ryley Frye cooked the Red Foxes from the service line, firing off countless tough serves, with three being aces. Rider won five straight to take a four-point lead, and this time, cruised to a 25-16 win to sweep the match.
Sunday’s loss presents Marist with an uphill battle to work their way back into the playoff picture, but the Red Foxes are motivated to take it one game at a time.
“If we let too much of that pressure get to our heads, nothing is going to work out,” said freshman middle hitter Sarah Bumstead. “We just need to keep plugging along, keep going.”
Marist, who might need to win out to make the tournament, is on the road next weekend to face Merrimack and Quinnipiac. Up first is the Warriors, whom the Red Foxes lost to in a five-set marathon in their most recent matchup. For the first time in program history, Marist will trek to North Andover, with the first serve coming at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Edited by Jaylen Rizo
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
Photo from Marist Athletics
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