Manhattan Upsets Rider

Lawrenceville, NJ - Manhattan volleyball put together several big performances at Rider Wednesday, November 13, upsetting the MAAC second-place Broncs in five sets 25-19, 19-25, 20-15, 26-24, 15-8.

The Jaspers improve to 7-22 overall and 4-12 in conference, while Rider drops to 14-15 on the year and 11-6 in MAAC play. 

Highlights:

• Julia Menocal (Bronx, NY / Preston) led an active Jasper attack Wednesday, contributing 15 kills. She was followed by Vivian Donovan (Newport Beach, CA / Newport Harbor) at 14 kills, and Erin Hoener (St. Louis, MO / Incarnate Word) who added 11. 
• Donovan finished the night with a double-double, adding a career-high 19 digs to her 14 kills. She has contributed double-digit digs in the Jaspers' last four matches, while earning double-digit kills in three of those matches.
• Donovan also totaled six blocks, another career-high, and three aces at Rider.
• Hoener earned a career-high eight blocks against the Broncs, including six block assists and two solo. She helped the Jaspers earn 16 total team blocks (compared to Rider's six), the highest block total of the season for the squad. 
• Hoener's eight blocks bring her to 108 total blocks for the season, good for eighth on the program's single-season list. She has also entered the single-season top 10 for both block assists and solo blocks. She is at 263 blocks for her career, now eighth all-time. Hoener's 60 solo blocks place her at seventh all-time, while her 203 block assists also place her at seventh on that all-time list. 
• Meagan Miller (Oakville, ON / Oakville Trafalgar) was the third pillar of the Jasper defense Wednesday night, tallying seven blocks, just one off her career-high.
• Libero Nashally Eleutiza (Orlando, FL / Monroe) earned 24 digs in the match, averaging just under five digs per set. 
• In the setter position, Abby Wilde (Parkesberg, PA / Octorora) finished the night with 42 assists, as well as three blocks and nine digs.
• Manhattan won the first set before falling behind 2-1 in the match. 
• Fighting to stay alive in the fourth and down 14-11, the Jaspers went on a 5-1 run to come up even with the Broncs at 16 all. Two consecutive kills from Menocal then put Manhattan ahead by a crucial two points. 
• Tied at 23-23 in the fourth, the Jaspers took advantage of a Rider service error to go up one. After the Broncs again tied it up, Manhattan got kills from Hoener and Menocal, respectively, to force a fifth set.
• With motivation on the side of the Jaspers, Manhattan took an early lead in the fifth and didn't look back. Four Jaspers (Hoener, Donovan, Menocal and Miller) contributed two kills each in the set, while Manhattan benefited from six Rider attack errors. 
• Miller ended the match with a short tip over the net, which was touched several times before dropping on the Broncs' side.
• Rider's Morgan Romano led all players with 18 kills. Alexa Shello added four blocks for the Broncs. 

Up Next:
Manhattan will face Marist on Saturday, November 16 in Poughkeepsie. First serve is scheduled for 6:00 pm.