September 13, 2006 - FDU 3 Rider 0
September 13, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Volleyball
Fairleigh Dickinson University 3, Rider University 0
TEANECK—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.
“We’re lucky that this was a non-conference match,” said head coach Emily Ahlquist. “On the other hand, I am concerned that we only have one more day to prepare for the conference matches. Tonight, we just didn’t play very well.”
Nine days between matches may not have helped the effort tonight.
“You can look at the layoff and the gap of not playing and use that as an excuse for not playing with intensity,” Ahlquist said. “But I look at it as a chance to play inspired and enthusiastic since we were rested and had a chance to heel some of the bumps and bruises of the first three weeks and recharge emotionally. There is no reason not to be motivated to play any match in league or out of league. We didn’t communicate, didn’t help each other out, basically what could go wrong did. And take nothing away from Fairleigh Dickinson. They are a good team that took advantage of everything we gave them.”
“Today, I don’t think we came out strong or fast enough,” said freshman Amy Jeary (Depew, N.Y./St. Mary’s). “Everyone seemed to be watching each other instead of just playing and communicating.”
And now it’s on. After nine straight non-conference matches to open the season, Rider opens the 2006 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule on Friday night. Ask any player and they’ll tell you that there is nothing like a conference match, against a fierce rival.
“We’re there physically, I just think we need to focus more on the mental aspect of the game,” said Jeary. “We are ready for the conference and expect to do well. We just have to play with more emotion and more focus.”
For Rider (2-7) Jeary had 14 digs with sophomore Lacey Johnson (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) posting a ‘double-double’ with 17 digs and 10 kills.
Junior Katrina Stehle (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) also had a ‘double-double’ with 11 digs and 11 kills with senior Megan Smith (Webster, N.Y./Webster) adding four blocks and freshman JoAnna Winter (Hamburg, Minn./Mayer Lutheran) adding 19 assists.
“We are really going to have to step it up now that the conference schedule is here,” said Ahlquist. “The intensity, the crowd, the emotion. It’s a different animal when you get into the league. Not only is every game knock down drag out, every point is as well and we may be young but we have to realize that our opponents are going to be playing with a higher intensity and energy.”
Having only nine non-conference matches to prepare for the league is something that all of the teams in the MAAC will be getting used to.
“All of the teams are in the same boat,” said Ahlquist. “The conference switched to a ‘round-robin’ schedule and with 18 league games instead of nine, all of the teams are going to feel a little less prepared than they are used to because the conference is starting now instead of mid-October. The timing of the start of the MAAC schedule is the biggest factor for everyone to get used to.”
With only nine matches overall in 2006, the Broncs came into tonight still working on rotations and lineups in preparation for Friday night against Manhattan.
“We used three different lineups and are still working out the kinks. I’m glad tonight happened now and not this weekend. Hopefully it’s out of our system,” Ahlquist added.
Turning the page on the non-conference season, the Broncs open the 2006 MAAC schedule in one more day. Ready or not, here it comes.
-RU-
