Using big runs in the third and fourth sets, the Canisius College volleyball team defated Rider 18-25, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-23 in Alumni Gymnasium on Saturday. The Golden Griffins improve to 11-10 overall and 7-2 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

Sophomore Emily Elek led the Griffs with 13 kills on the day while senior Renee Lettow and sophomore Samantha Good each had 12 kills. Sophomore Allyson Severyn had 27 digs from the libero position. Both Canisius setters - junior Janelle Davis (24 assists, 12 digs) and freshman Sydney Palka (15 assists, 10 digs) - had double-doubles on the day.

"We're not playing our best volleyball right now, but we found a way to win today." Canisius coach Cathy Hummel said. "It's nice to come away with a road win when we're not firing on all cylinders."

With the score tied at 14-14 in the first set, Rider (1-18, 0-9 MAAC) scored five straight points to take a 19-14 lead. The Broncs then ran away with the set, taking the early 1-0 lead on a kill from Katelyn Thompson.

Canisius bounced back in a close second set, which featured 13 ties and five lead changes. Rider held an early 7-3 lead, but Canisius went on an 8-3 run to take an 11-10 lead on back-to-back Rider attack errors. No team held more than a two-point lead until the end of the set when kills from junior Layne Adams and freshman Jessica Warner evened the match at one set apiece.

Rider held a 16-10 lead in the third set before Canisius used a 9-0 run to turn around the set. Elek had three kills and two blocks in the run while Adams had two blocks as Canisius went up 19-16. The Griffs closed out the set by winning four of the last five points, capped by a block from Good and senior Jasmine Brennan.

In a back-and-forth fourth set, Canisius jumped out to a 7-2 lead after a kill from Adams. The Broncs climbed back into the set and used an 8-1 run to take a 15-12 lead on a Canisius attack error. Canisius came back with a 5-1 run, to go up 17-16 on a kill from Good. The Broncs responded with three straight points and held a 23-20 lead after a kill from Thompson. Canisius then won the final five points of the match - getting a kill and service ace from Adams, kill from Lettow and two Rider attack errors - to defeat the Broncs.

Thompson led all players with 16 kills while Amanda Piccolini had a match-high 48 assists to go along with 17 digs. Elyse Grassmuck led Rider with 21 digs.

Canisius concludes the weekend road trip at Loyola on Saturday, with match time set for 2 p.m.

Match Notes: Canisius has now won its last three matches when losing the opening set... Lettow had a season-high 48 attack attempts... Davis had her fourth double-double of the season with the six kills standing as the most for the junior since she had seven against Bucknell on Sept. 11... Palka recorded the first double-double of her career... Severyn has at least 22 digs in each of the last five matches... Adams led the Griffs with five blocks and has 20 blocks in the last four matches... Good posted a .417 attack percentage. In the last five matches, Good is averaging 4.10 kills per set while posting a .410 attack percentage... Elek has double-double kills in four straight matches... Freshman Lindsay Hanggi had two service aces after recording her first career service ace last weekend against Fairfield... Brennan had her first service ace since Sept. 11, against Bucknell.