October 21, 2005 - Manhattan 3 Rider 2
October 21, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Women's College Volleyball
Manhattan College 3, Rider University 2
LAWRENCEVILLE--One thousand. A grand. The magic number is a milestone to strive for. For senior Stefanie Lombardo (New Castle, Pa/Laurel), she reached the 1,000 plateau in digs on Friday, and on Saturday she will be approaching 1,000 career kills as well. “It is a milestone for the elite athletes, either in digs or kills, and to do it in both it is a sign of an outstanding, consistent, all-around career,” said Rider head coach Emily Ahlquist.
The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match to Manhattan Friday, spoiling the night in which Lombardo compiled 24 digs, giving her 1,016 digs for her career. Lombardo added a team-high 15 kills, and now needs just 11 for 1,000 kills.
The Jaspers won by the scores of 25-30, 30-24, 30-22, 24-30, 15-13.
Lombardo’s immediate reaction after the game was typical. “I’m not really thinking about it right now, because we lost,” said the Rider veteran, who was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship All-Tournament team last year. “I can’t really appreciate it right now, but it is definitely something I can look back on when my career is over and feel good about.”
“We played up and down tonight,” said Ahlquist. “We played with lots of emotion for eight or nine plays, then we would let it go, and then have to fight to get it back. In the fifth game we showed a little in the beginning, but once we were down four points, and you have to be perfect, it is tough to do. But we kept fighting. W e didn’t execute to our potential, but we fought hard.”
For the Broncs (8-14, 0-2 MAAC), senior Embrey Minor (Davidsonville, Md/Bowie) led Rider with 35 assists, and senior Kristine Dormer (Bowie, Md/Elizabeth Seton) had 13 assists, 12 digs and seven kills. Freshman Lacey Johnson (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) had 24 digs, five service aces and eight kills, and junior Megan Smith (Webster, NY/Webster) had 14 kills.
“The 1,000 mark was one of my goals coming in, and I just wish we won so I could be excited about it,” said Lombardo. “I never dreamt of reaching 1,000 in more than one category, but I’m not 6’3”, so I have to be more versatile and do more than just hit to contribute as much as I’d like,” said the 5’7” outside hitter.
Rider hosts Saint Peter’s Saturday. “We need to win tomorrow,” said Lombardo. “We have to go out and play, not think so much. We served well tonight, we came out strong, but we made communication errors, mental errors. We are better than that, but we lost.
We have to bring our best game tomorrow, this is conference season.”
It is also the time of season for milestones.
-RU-
