POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist volleyball team lost for just the second time in its last seven matches when it fell to Rider 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 26-24) on Oct. 28 in McCann Arena.
 
Marist is now 11-12 overall and 8-4 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference competition. The Broncs improved to 14-11 overall and 8-5 in conference competition. 
 
Turning Points:
Rider jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the opening set and never looked back. A 7-2 Red Foxes' run highlighted by kills from four different players cut the Rider lead to 16-15. Ahead by a single point, the Broncs ripped off a 5-1 run of their own to take the first frame.
 
The second stanza was tied six times with the final draw coming at 14. A kill from sophomore Stephanie Stone at set point kept the Red Foxes alive, but the Rider offense had all the momentum and took a 2-0 lead.
 
Marist's attack began to take control of the contest in the third set. With the scoreboard at 11 all, the Red Foxes went on an 8-3 scoring spree with the help of consecutive aces by junior Taylor van der Biezen and a couple kills from sophomore Megan Fergus. Sophomore Nikki DeSerpa was dominant from the front left corner, converting on five kills in the period and sealing the set with the final two points to get Marist on the board in the match.
 
Five of the first seven points in the final act went to Marist and its lead increased to as much as four points when it was 13-9. Rider fought back however, pulling ahead on an 8-1 run to go in front 17-14. The Red Foxes clawed back to tie the score at 21 as DeSerpa continued her heavy hitting with three more kills. DeSerpa's dominance extended the set at 24-24, but a pair of Marist attack errors allowed Rider to prevail in the contest.
 
Inside the Numbers:
-DeSerpa finished one short of a season high with 18 kills.
-Senior Kelsey Ediger dove for a match-high 15 digs and was one of three Red Foxes to tally a double-digit total in that category.
-Marist held a slight edge in kills (54-52), assists (54-48) and aces (3-2).
-Broncs' senior Veronica Koval had 46 assists and a service ace.
-Rider compiled a .201 attack percentage compared to Marist's mark of .175.
 
Up Next:
Marist will host Saint Peter's at 1 p.m. Oct. 29 in McCann Arena to conclude a five-match home stand.