Volleyball breaks even after difficult stretch

By Paul Mullin

Every sports team needs a break now and then, and this week the women of the volleyball team have one. Unfortunately, it won’t last for very long.

Holding its annual Katzenbach Volleyball Clinic in conjunction with the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf on Tuesday, Oct. 10, the team got the only breather it’s going to see until early November amidst a grueling stretch of 18 conference games that started three weeks ago.

“The non-conference season always prepares us for our conference games,” said Head Coach Emily Ahlquist. “We always play tough non-conference games.”

Coming off a 3-1 win over Marist on Saturday, Oct. 7, which evened out its MAAC record at 4-4, the team has staked out fourth-place in the conference, for the time being, a performance that Ahlquist is satisfied with for the moment.

“I am satisfied with the beginning,” she said. “I think we’re going to have a turning point and start to push forward.”

The eight freshmen players on the team, by far the majority, have done an outstanding job on the court thus far this season, contributing to the team effort in every way they can, and even earning some honors along the way.

Freshman defensive specialist Amy Jeary was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week for all matches played from Oct. 2 to Oct. 8, after compiling back-to-back 20 dig matches, first running up a total of 33 in the win over Marist and then coming up big in the Broncs’ loss to Saint Peter’s on Friday, Oct. 6, with a 29-dig performance.

“[Amy] is very deserving of the award,” Ahlquist said. “She always puts out a great effort. And although it is an individual award it says a lot for the team, too.”

Jeary also leads the team and the MAAC with a 5.1 digs per game season average and a 6.14 digs per game conference average, which is helping hold Rider at No. 15 in the nation in digs, averaging 18.72 per game.

At Jeary’s side have been fellow freshmen setter JoAnna Winter, who leads the team in sets (454, 8.90 per game), and middle hitter/outside hitter Brittany Hayes, who leads the team in blocking with 39 total blocks so far this season.

Senior middle hitter Megan Smith, the only senior on the team, has put in a fantastic effort as well, as she leads the team in kills (191, 3.29 per game) and attack percentage (.276). Sophomore outside hitter Lacey Johnson has backed her up nicely, adding 166 kills and an attack percentage of .150.

“We really just need to play more together,” Ahlquist said on making team improvements. “Communication and energy are important to win.”

And as for the 10 remaining conference games, Ahlquist contends that each and every one of them is going to be a fight to the finish.

“Every match is tough,” she said. “Whether you’re playing the No. 1 seed or the No. 10 seed, there is very little parity in our conference.”