Lawrenceville, NJ- The Iona College volleyball team clinched a berth in the 2007 MAAC Championship by virtue of a five-game win over Rider this afternoon at Alumni Gym. The Gaels (13-16, 10-6 MAAC) held of the Broncs (2-24, 0-16 MAAC) in the deciding game after winning the first two.

In the deciding game, senior Kristin Allain recorded her 1,000th career kill, the seventh player since 1990 to achieve the feat.

The Maroon & Gold handily defeated Rider in the first two games by scores of 30-21 and 30-22. The Gaels led by as many as 13 points in the first game after taking a 21-8 lead on a Rider attack error. Iona pulled away in game two with the score tied at 14 as they scored 16 of the games next 24 points.

Game three belonged to the Broncs. With the score tied at 11, Rider went on a 9-1 run en route to a 30-18 win.

Facing a 29-24 deficit in game four, Iona scored five straight to tie the score with freshman Colleen Genett serving. The Broncs scored the final two points of the match to force a deciding game five.

Game five was a back and forth match up with the Gaels taking no more than a three point lead at 11-8. Rider stormed back but could not get within a point as Iona ended the game on sophomore Sarah Wiener's team-leading 14th kill of the contest.

Wiener and junior Kendall Paulus each had 14 kills. Senior Kristin Allain added 13 and Genett had 12 in the win. Paulus and Allain completed double-doubles with 20 and 11 digs respectively.

Junior setter Alyssa Morales had an all-around effort with 53 assists, two kills, five kills and six blocks. Rookie libero Allison Nieters added 35 digs. Entering the contest she was second in the nation with averaging 6.9 per contest.

The Gaels clinch at least a tie for fourth place in the MAAC contest win the win. Iona holds the tiebreaker over current fifth place team Canisius. After looking at head-to-head win-loss record, the next tie breaker is number of games won in the two matches. The Maroon & Gold defeated the Golden Griffins 3-1 in New Rochelle and fell 3-2 up in Buffalo.

Iona returns to action in their final weekend of play with two teams that they could face in the MAAC Championship in two weeks. The Gaels take on first place Siena on Saturday morning at home before traveling to Baltimore to take on the third place Loyola Greyhounds.

1,000-KILL CLUB (SINCE 1990)
  1. 1536 - Miki Hogg - 2002-05
  2. 1339 - Kathy Kunath - 1999-02
  3. 1142 - Megan Dailey - 2003-06
  4. 1117 - Ann Bonner - 1993-96
  5. 1110 - Brehan Judge - 1995-98
  6. 1072 - Katie Craft  - 1997-00
  7. 1001 - Kristin Allain - 2004-07