QU Volleyball Comes Back for Huge 3-2 Road Win over Rider behind 17 Kills from Kaleigh Oates

Saturday, November 4

Lawrenceville, NJ

12:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Rider

QU Volleyball Comes Back for Huge 3-2 Road Win over Rider behind 17 Kills from Kaleigh Oates

11/4/2017 2:21:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Sophomore Kaleigh Oates sets new career high with 17 kills

By: QU Athletic Communications

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Led by a career-high 17 kills from sophomore middle hitter Kaleigh Oates (Downington, Pa.) the Quinnipiac volleyball team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to take a huge 3-2 road win over Rider on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium, getting back into the MAAC Tournament picture.

SCORES
Quinnipiac 3 / Rider 2 (25-19, 16-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-8)

LOCATION
Alumni Gymnasium / Lawrenceville, N.J.

RECORDS
Quinnipiac (8-20, 7-8 MAAC) / Rider (14-13, 8-7 MAAC)

MATCH NOTES

With the score 8-7 in the fifth, the Bobcats closed out on a 7-1 run to take the win. Sophomore Kaleigh Oates (Downington, Pa.) started the run with back-to-back kills, and sophomore Natalie Alechko (Old Tappan, N.J.) had kills for the 13th and 14th points before a Rider error ended it.
Quinnipiac improves to 7-8 in the MAAC with the win, including a sweep of Rider, which falls to 8-7. The two teams could pull into a tie tomorrow if the Bobcats defeat winless Saint Peter's and Rider falls to MAAC unbeaten Fairfield, and the Bobcats would have the tiebreaker due to the sweep.
It marked the second straight season that the Bobcats have won a five-setter at Rider, as well as its fourth straight win in the series (including a pair of 3-1 wins at home).
Oates passed her previous high of 16 kills set two weeks ago in a 3-1 win against Manhattan.
After Rider closed within 13-11 in the fourth, the Bobcats didn't allow two straight points to the Broncs for the rest of the set, winning 25-18. A 3-0 run turned a 17-15 lead into a 20-15 advantage, and Oates finished off the set with a kill.
Quinnipiac took the first set 25-19, thanks to a 6-0 run which turned a narrow 18-17 lead into a 24-17 advantage. The run started with consecutive kills from freshman Morgan Sherwin (Coplay, Pa.), Oates and senior Jamie Termotto (Smithtown, N.Y.).
The Bobcats also started the match in fine fashion, jumping out to a 6-1 lead and forcing an early Rider timeout. Junior Kat Miller (Collegeville, Pa.) had two kills and a block during the run, while sophomore Maria Pansari (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) capped it off with an ace.
Rider started fast in the second set, leading 9-4. Quinnipiac closed to within 13-11, but Rider answered with the next three points, then closed out on a 4-0 run for a 25-16 win to level the match.
The Bobcats used a 6-0 run to take a 14-8 lead in the third set, keyed by two aces from sophomore Alejandra Rodriguez (Toa Alta, P.R.). Rider answered right back with a 5-0 to pull within 14-13.
Oates had kills at 14-13, 15-14, and 16-15 to restore two-point leads for the Bobcats, but they couldn't hold off Rider the rest of the way, as the Broncs closed on a 6-1 run for a 25-21 win and a 2-1 lead.
Alechko finished with a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs, while Miller had 12 kills in 27 attempts for a .370 hitting percentage.
Pansari's 49 assists left her one shy of reaching 50 in a match for the 12th time in her career.
Quinnipiac can pull even in the MAAC with a win over Saint Peter's tomorrow, and then closes out with two home matches against Canisius and Niagara next weekend. The Bobcats could potentially clinch a bid with wins over Saint Peter's and Canisius, even before the finale with Niagara.

QUINNIPIAC STAT LEADERS
Kills: Kaleigh Oates - 17
Attack Pct: Kaleigh Oates - .394 (17-4-33)
Assists: Maria Pansari - 49
Digs: Alejandra Rodriguez - 18
Blocks: Morgan Sherwin - 4
Aces: Morgan Sherwin - 3

UPCOMING MATCHES
Quinnipiac is at Saint Peter's tomorrow for a 1 p.m. contest before closing out with two home matches next weekend, facing Canisius on Saturday at 1 p.m. and Niagara on Sunday at 1 p.m.