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The sixth-seeded Niagara Purple Eagles will play the No. 3 seed Quinnipiac Bobcats in the 2016 MAAC Tournament First Round on Friday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. at the George Bisacaa Court at Alumni Hall on the campus of Fairfield University.

Tournament Time

• NU is 13-16 all-time through 15 MAAC tournament appearances since joining the conference in 1990 campaign.
• This marks Niagara's second consecutive sixth-seed ranking in the tournament.
• From 2009-11, Niagara won three straight conference tournament titles.
• This will be Niagara's first post-season matchup against Quinnipiac.
• The winner of the match will face off against No. 2 seed Marist on Saturday at 5 p.m.

2015 MAAC Tournament Rewind

• Niagara defeated third-seeded and defending champions Siena in straight sets in the first round, before falling in straight sets to No. 2 seed Marist in the semifinals.
• Alexis Gray was named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team after averaging 8.67 assists and 4.0 digs per set.

Last Time Out

• The Purple Eagles ended the regular season with a five-set win on the road against Iona, ultimately sweeping them for the season.
• Niagara finished the regular season with a 10-8 MAAC record.
• The Purple Eagles are 3-2 in their last five matches.

Purple Points

• Alexis Gray is tied for first in the MAAC in service aces (48), and tied for second in aces per set with an average of 0.42 aces per set.
• Libero Rylee Hunt ranks third in the MAAC in digs per set with an average of 4.26 digs per set.
• Both Nicole Matheis and Madison May have consistently ranked in the top-10 in the MAAC in kills all season.
• Niagara leads the MAAC in service aces (198), averaging 1.72 aces per set, which puts them tied for 19th in the country in service aces.

Across The Net: #3 Quinnipiac Bobcats (19-12, 11-7 MAAC)

• NU swept Quinnipiac this season, winning on the road in five sets on Oct. 2, and at home in four sets on Nov. 5.
• Niagara stands at 10-0 all-time against the Bobcats.
• Quinnipiac ranks first in the MAAC in blocks (276), with an average of 2.32 blocks per set. The Bobcats also rank third in the conference in kills (12.25 kills per set) and assists (11.42 assists per set).
• Leaders: kills per set - Jen Coffey (3.12), assists per set - Maria Pansari (10.31), blocks per set - Allison Leigh (1.40).

Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for volleyball updates at @NiagaraVB. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles.