Sophomore setter Jennifer Hansford leads Niagara in assists, averaging 10.64 in MAAC matches.

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University volleyball team (8-18, 4-3) holds its own postseason destiny in its hands when it hosts Fairfield Saturday at 1 p.m. and Iona Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Purple Eagles’ final regular-season matches at the Gallagher Center.

Niagara is currently fifth in the current Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings and needs a pair of wins to advance to its first conference postseason tournament since 1995 when it was changed to a four-team tournament. Iona is sitting in a three-way tie with Saint Peter’s and Canisius for second place and Fairfield is in seventh.

The Purple Eagles are riding a two-match winning streak and have won four of their last five matches. Niagara won its last two road matches, beating Siena in five games and knocking Marist out of the playoff picture with a four-game victory.

Senior middle hitter Stacy Koslosky (Elma, N.Y./Iroquois) continues to dominate play at the net. In MAAC matches, she is hitting a team-leading .336 with 2.35 kills per game and a squad-best 31 blocks (1.19 per game). She had two solo and a personal-best 10 block assists vs. Marist.

Sophomore sensations Michelle LeSouder (Stratford, Ont.) leads Niagara in kills per game (4.46) and is second in hitting percentage (.251) and blocks (17). Classmate Erin Graham (Oakville, N.Y./Oakville Alabama) is second in kills per game (3.82) and digs per game (2.07), and is third in hitting percentage (.241).

Sophomore libero Micole Daluisio (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) averages a team-best 4.21 digs per game and sophomore setter Jennifer Hansford (Stratford, Ont.) is average 10.64 assists per game.

Niagara has a .221 hitting percentage and averages 13.89 digs per game.

Fairfield enters Saturday’s match having won both its matches last weekend and dropping a mid-week match to Fordham. The Stags beat Rider (3-1) and Loyola (3-1) last weekend, but lost 3-1 to Fordham Wednesday night.

Offensively, Fairfield (3-4, 5-20) is led by senior middle blocker Kristin Anderson who is averaging 2.71 kills and is hitting a team-leading .271. Classmate Laurie Brands is averaging a team-leading 3.29 kills per game and has a team-best 3.16 digs per game.

Siena has a .156 hitting percentage and averages 14.11 digs per game.

Iona (16-12, 5-2) has lost three of its last four matches, losing to Manhattan (3-0), Loyola (3-2) and Long Island (3-1) and beating Rider (3-0).

The Gaels are led by sophomore middle blocker Miki Hogg who is averaging 3.32 kills and 1.3 blocks per game and hitting a team-leading .330. Sophomore outside hitter Colleen Walker is averaging a team-best 3.80 kills per game and hitting .263. Senior libero Katie Jellison averages a squad-best 3.21 digs per outing.

The Gaels are hitting .243 and average 15.50 digs a game.

Niagara trails in the series with Fairfield, 10-3, but leads the series with Iona, 9-6. Last year, the Purple Eagles lost to the Stags and the Gaels twice. Niagara last beat Fairfield in 2001 and Iona in 2000.