Box Score
Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – On Saturday afternoon, the Manhattan College volleyball team battled Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC)-leading Rider for five sets over nearly two and a half hours. Unfortunately, though, it was the first-place Broncs (12-9, 7-0 MAAC) that came out on top, notching a 16-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 15-13 victory over the Jaspers (10-9, 4-2 MAAC) at Draddy Gymnasium.
After falling behind two-sets-to-one, the Jaspers rallied to claim the fourth set. Manhattan jumped out to a 4-1 lead and extended that margin to 14-7 on a kill by Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii). However, the Broncs scored 11 of the next 15 points to force an 18-18 deadlock. A Rider error on the next point put the Jaspers back in front and started a 6-0 Manhattan run. Milena Janjusevic (Belgrade, Serbia) ended the 25-18 set win with a service ace.
That set the stage for an epic fifth set that featured 11 ties and six lead changes. Neither side led by more than two points in the decisive frame. Manhattan went up 6-4 on a block by Jade Gray (Boise, Idaho) and Ivana Kostic (Grocka, Serbia) before three straight Rider points gave the Broncs a 7-6 advantage. After kills by Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) and Gray put the Jaspers back in front, 8-7, Rider went on another three-point rally to take a 10-8 cushion.
A Gray kill that ended a 35-second rally put Manhattan ahead 12-11, but Rider claimed the next two points, prompting a Jaspers timeout. After Behrens slammed a kill out of the timeout to tie it again at 13-13, a kill by Hailey Reide gave Rider the first match point. Ryan Ackermann then ripped a kill to finish off the set, 15-13, and the Broncs' second five-set victory at Draddy Gymnasium in three seasons.
“It was a really good volleyball match, and it could've gone either way,” Head Coach Mark Jones said. “I'm proud of how we played today. I think the difference in the match was just a couple of plays.”
The Jaspers stormed out of the gate, slamming 20 kills and hitting a whopping .425 (three errors, 40 attempts) in the first set. Manhattan opened up an early 5-2 lead, then used an 8-2 run to turn a 10-9 edge into an 18-10 cushion. After Rider pulled within 18-14, Behrens smoked a kill to start a 6-1 rally that brought the Jaspers to set point. A Kostic kill then wrapped up the set for Manhattan, 25-16.
In the second set, Rider went up early, 4-1, before the Jaspers rallied to tie it at 6-6. After the Broncs rattled off eight of the next 10 points to push their advantage back to six, 14-8, two kills apiece by Behrens and Van Dyk brought Manhattan within two, 14-12. Rider ran the margin to 18-12, but the Jaspers again cut its deficit to two points at 22-20. However, they wouldn't get any closer, as the Broncs captured the final three points of the set to notch a 25-20 win and even the match.
Rider opened the third set by claiming five of the first seven points. Manhattan rallied to go up 10-8, then the Broncs countered with a 12-6 spurt to pull ahead 20-16. After back-to-back Manhattan points brought the Jaspers within two, Rider responded with three in a row to increase its advantage to 23-18. A Van Dyk kill started a 4-0 run that cut the Broncs' lead to 23-22 before Rider took the next point to reach set point. Van Dyk fought off one opportunity with a kill, but the Broncs won the set by a 25-23 count, giving them a 2-1 edge in the match.
Van Dyk and Janjusevic led the Jaspers with 19 kills apiece. Van Dyk added three aces and a career-high 28 digs, while Janjusevic had 23 digs and two aces. Gray also notched a double-double with 54 assists and 12 digs. Kostic, hit .455 in the match, smashing 11 kills and committing just one error. She recorded five blocks, as well. Behrens, meanwhile, had eight kills and just one error for a .350 hitting percentage.
Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) tallied 25 digs to go along with a pair of aces, as Manhattan finished with eight aces as a team, increasing its national-leading total to 143 for the season. Alyssa Rehrer (Lorton, Va.) registered 13 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Broncs 110-92. Manhattan hit .162 (64-30-210) as a team and held a 106-99 advantage in total points scored.
For Rider, Ackermann had a double-double with 15 kills and 18 digs. Reide added 13 kills and five blocks, while Kaitlyn Griffin finished with eight kills and was at least a part of all 11 Rider blocks. Veronica Koval tallied 28 assists and 19 digs, and Brandie Hill distributed 14 assists. Emma Aldaya led the Broncs with 25 digs. As a team, Rider hit .138 (52-25-196) in the match.
“We have to regroup,” Jones said. “It's a disappointing loss for us, but anything is possible right now. We just have to make sure we come out tomorrow, work hard, and get the W. That's all we can do.”
Manhattan continues its four-match homestand on Sunday, when Saint Peter's (3-12, 1-5 MAAC) comes to Riverdale for a 1 p.m. showdown. The Peacocks picked up a five-set win at Iona on Saturday.
