Older and wiser.  The Rider University volleyball team placed four student-athletes on the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference All-Academic team, it was announced Sunday. 

The Rider season came to an end at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida on Friday.

That’s why they play the match.  On paper, Rider looked like it would have a win locked up, having defeated Iona twice by 3-0 scores during the regular season.  So much for those results.  The Gaels turned the tables on the Broncs and defeated Rider in three straight games on Thursday in the opening round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida.

Rider senior Megan Smith of the volleyball team was awarded second team All-MAAC honors it was announced Thursday at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournament in Orlando, Florida.

The Rider University volleyball team heads to Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship tournament November 16-18.
Click Here for Tournament Notes

For number eight Megan Smith, the lone senior on senior day, eight was enough.  The Broncs broke an eight match losing streak, defeating Iona in the final regular season Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match of the season.

With the ‘magic’ of the magic kingdom just a week away, the Broncs could not muster any on Thursday night, falling to Loyola College in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match.

Going back to your youth and remembering when you played just for the fun of the game.  As part of the Rider Athletics Partners in a Caring Community and the MAAC Gives Back program, the Bronc volleyball team hosted over 60 girl scouts in Alumni Gym for a clinic on Sunday, November 5.

The Broncs lost a four-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match at Saint Peter’s Saturday afternoon.

After losing a game to Rider almost two months ago, the Stags have been perfect.  Literally.  Riding a 30 game and 15 match winning streak, the Stags defeated the Broncs in three straight on Friday night in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match.

Dan Riverso of the soccer team, and Megan Smith of the volleyball team, have been named the Rider University Athletes of the Month for October.

Megan Smith (Webster, NY) of the Rider University volleyball team was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Player of the Week for all matches played October 23-29. “I’m excited about this,’ said Smith.  “It is a great honor. I know there are a lot of really good players in the MAAC from playing against them, so for me to get this award is a great honor.”

With both teams dogged by four match losing streaks, something had to give Saturday afternoon.

The Broncs lost a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match at Marist Friday. “We have to learn to play well on the road,” said Rider head coach Emily Ahlquist.

A glance at the past may help in the future.  On a day that saw Siena get its 2005 conference championship rings in front of a loud crowd of over 150, the young Broncs saw what a championship team looks like.  Unfortunately, Rider still had to play them.

If you are in New York, you might as well have a marathon.

If you got wins for heart and desire, the Broncs would have been victorious on Monday.  As it was, Rider lost a two-hour marathon Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match to Canisius in five games.

For the first 20 minutes, it looked like Rider was stuck in a blizzard after Niagara took an eight point win in the opening game. The Broncs dug in and rallied to win three straight, defeating the Purple Eagles 3-1 in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match on Sunday afternoon.

As part of the Rider Athletics community outreach program and the MAAC Gives Back, the Rider volleyball team conducted its annual clinic with the Katzenbach School for the Deaf volleyball team on Tuesday.

Can you dig it?  Rider freshman Amy Jeary (Depew, N.Y./St. Mary’s) was awarded the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for all matches played October 2-8, after posting back to back 20-dig efforts.

Playing in just her seventh collegiate match and her 16th game of the season, freshman Jenna Landis took advantage of an opportunity and helped the Rider Broncs come back to defeat Marist in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match on Saturday.

The bad thing, it’s a conference loss. The good thing, you get to come right back and play again in 20 hours.

On and off the court, it’s all about communication.  On a day when the Broncs communicated with the past to setup the future, that effort didn’t make it to the court as Rider lost to Siena in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match Sunday.

The only time was 1999.  Well, the Broncs get to party like it’s 1999, having defeated Iona for the first time since the last decade ended.  The Broncs swept Iona in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match Friday night, defeating the Gaels 30-21, 30-24, 30-27.

After playing an emotionally charged match on Saturday, the Broncs faced the Golden Griffs of Canisius on Sunday in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match.  Well, Golden for Canisius.  For Rider not so much.

Overcoming adversity.  For a young team playing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, it is a daunting task.  Add playing the first road match of the conference season after a 449 mile trip, a hostile crowd and eight first-year players on the roster and you get a five-game conference win.  Of course you do.

Facing a team that gets their hands on everything, the Broncs got one handed to them on Saturday, losing to Fairfield in four games in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match.

First place!  Ok, before we get ahead of ourselves, there are eight freshmen on the roster and only one senior.  And there are 17 conference matches to go.  But after being picked to finish in a not so flattering 10th place in the MAAC, any time you can spend in the penthouse is ok with the Broncs.

Spiked!  The Broncs were fortunate that the conference schedule opens on Friday and not tonight.  Playing a flat and sometimes uninspired match, Rider was swept by Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night, losing to the Knights 32-30, 30-23, 30-21.

The Broncs took advantage of having a powerful West Coast volleyball team in the area, hosting Eastern Washington while the Eagles were on an East Coast road trip. “They had a scrappy, ball-handling style of play, and they were big,” said Rider head coach Emily Ahlquist. “We won’t see a team this big again this year. This team will prepare us for our conference season.”

Preparation.  To be successful later, you need to prepare and set the foundation now.

That’s why you play the game.  Coming into the first match on Friday, on paper at least, it looked like it could be a long day for Rider.  The Lady Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore entered the match with a 3-1 record with the Broncs 0-3.

Back to back.  For teams that have won championships, it is very difficult to do.  For teams playing in season, it is even more difficult.  After playing the final tournament match late Friday night, the Broncs were on the court bright and early Saturday, losing both matches on the final day of the Colgate Classic Saturday.

Hanging tough.  Faced with eight 'new kids' on the team, the first match of the year, being on the road and with Colgate jumping out to a game one 15-6 lead, the Broncs rallied, giving the host Raiders all they could handle, before falling to Colgate 3-1 in the opening match of the Colgate Classic Friday night.

The Rider University volleyball team takes on host Colgate Friday night in the first round of the two-day Colgate Invitational to begin the 2006 season.

Nastasja Avramovic, a junior defensive specialist on the 2006 Rider University volleyball team, was named to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Team in a poll voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches.

The Rider University women’s volleyball team was one of 54 NCAA Division I teams to receive the Game Plan/American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award, it was announced this week.

The Rider University volleyball team has added eight recruits to the 2006 roster, Rider head coach Emily Ahlquist announced.