Junior Erin Graham had a pair of double-doubles vs. Siena and Marist last year. |
After a grueling non-conference schedule, the Niagara University volleyball team (2-13) looks to rebound when it opens its 15th year of play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this weekend.
The Purple Eagles open with Siena (7-9, 1-0) at 3 p.m. Saturday and then host Marist (9-9, 0-1) at noon on Sunday. All matches are played in the legendary Gallagher Center and admission is free.
SETTING THE SCENE
Reversal of fortunes is what Niagara is looking for when it begins conference play this weekend. After starting the season 2-13, the Purple Eagles will be playing for their first conference-opening win since beating Rider on the road in four games in 2002. Niagara defeated Rider in three games in last year’s conference home opener.
Siena and Marist began the MAAC season Oct. 6 and the Saints beat the Red Foxes in a five-game battle, 23-30, 30-21, 23-31, 30-25, 15-13.
A LOOK AT THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara looks to snap a three-match losing streak after dropping Wednesday’s match to Marshall in three games. The Purple Eagles last won a match on Oct. 1 with a three-game victory over Delaware State in the Hawk Challenge in Princess Anne, Md.
Statistically, Niagara is hitting .167 as a team and allowing opponents to hit .254. Junior middle hitter Karen Simpson is leading the Purple Eagles with a .282 hitting percentage and 31 blocks. Classmate Michelle LeSouder is the only other attacker hitting a .200 percentage-or-better (.259). She leads the squad in kills per game (4.15) and is second in aces (11).
Junior Jennifer Hansford had been handling all the setting duties, averaging 9.35 assists per game. She is also one of three players digging two-or-more attacks a game (2.21).
Defensively, Niagara is digging a lot of balls. Junior libero Micole Daluisio tops the team with 4.74 a game, while junior outside attacker Erin Graham is second (2.74). Graham is also second on the squad in kills per game (3.53).
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Siena
Siena looks to get back in the win column after having a four-match winning streak snapped with a five-game loss to Binghamton Oct. 10.
The Saints are hitting .169, while opponents are hitting .197. Sophomore outside attacker Christie Gustafson is Siena’s top offensive threat. She leads the team in kills per game (3.89), hitting percentage (.210) and digs per game (3.59). Gustafson is the current MAAC Defensive Player of the Week. She had match-high 26 kills and added 16 digs in the Saints victory over Marist last week.
Junior middle blocker Liz Hubbard tops the team in aces (32) and blocks (36).
Marist
Just like Niagara, Marist will be attempting to break a four-match losing streak when it travels to Western New York.
The Red Foxes are hitting .172 and allowing foes a .164 attack percentage.
Marist’s big gun is sophomore middle blocker Sally Hanson. She leads the squad in kills per game (3.19), hitting percentage (.298), aces (29) and blocks (49).
Junior libero Katie Lux is the team leader in digs with 4.15 per game.
Marist plays Canisius on Saturday before venturing to Monteagle Ridge.
SERIES RECORDS
Niagara and Siena first met in 1991 and since then the Saints have taken a 9-6 lead in the series.
In last year’s meeting, the Purple Eagles defeated Siena in five games, the first win over the Saints since 1998 when the Purple Eagles beat Siena in the Gallagher Center. Michelle LeSouder had 24 kills and Erin Graham a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs. Gustafson for Siena has a match-high 25 kills and four Saints were in double-digits in digs.
Niagara leads the Marist series, 10-2. The Purple Eagles beat the Red Foxes in four-games at the Gallagher Center last year and the win helped Niagara finish in fifth place in the league last year.
LeSouder had 17 kills, Graham a double-double with 21 kills and 10 digs, and Micole Daluisio added 22 digs.
Niagara hit .250 and held Marist to .000 in hitting in the match.
ALL-TIME LEADER
Junior Michelle LeSouder continues to build on her school record as Niagara’s career leader in kills (1,143).
LeSouder entered the season with 948 kills and has 195 going into the weekend.
The junior is now 105 kills away from 10th on the single season kills list. She finished first on the list as a freshman and second as a sophomore.
CHART MOVERS
Juniors Jennifer Hansford and Micole Daluisio continue to climb the Niagara career records chart.
Hansford is currently third on the career assists chart with 2,183 assists. She is just the third Purple Eagle to have 2,000-or-more career assists.
Daluisio became the fourth Niagara player to register 1,000-plus digs with her performance at the Bucknell Invitational. She fifth on the career list with 1,075 digs and needs 36 to pass Karen Catalano (1992-95).
THE RUSH IS ON
Freshman Raelean Rush has been improving match by match. The outside hitter is hitting .173 and averages 2.65 kills per game. She leads the team lead in aces (12) and is in double digits in assists (20) and blocks (17).
Rush had a string of five matches, Sept. 18-Oct. 2, with double digits in kills, including a career-high 14 vs. Delaware State on Oct. 2.
SINGLE-SEASON WATCH LIST
Micole Daluisio is slowly inching toward the top 10 in digs in a single season. She enters the weekend needing 122 digs to bump Jessica Anderson (339, 1995) from 10th on the list.
Daluisio holds the singles season mark for digs. She had 495 in 2002.
MAAC STATISTICS
Niagara has four players ranked among the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference leaders as of Oct. 11.
Karen Simpson is second in hitting with a .307 average. Michelle LeSouder is third in kills, averaging 4.00 a game.
Jennifer Hansford is eighth in assists and Micole Daluisio second in digs.
