Junior Jennifer Hansford and sophomore Annie Wachob |
The Niagara University volleyball team (4-13, 2-0) will put its two-match winning streak on the line this weekend when plays Fairfield (14-9, 1-1) and Iona (10-13, 2-0).
The Purple Eagles meet the Stags at 7 p.m. Friday in Alumni Hall, and the Gaels at noon on Sunday in the Mulcahy Center.
SETTING THE SCENE
Niagara will be protecting a two-match winning streak when it travels this weekend. The Purple Eagles opened their conference schedule last weekend with two victories in five-game matches. The last time Niagara began the league season undefeated was 2001 when it beat Canisius and Marist. The Purple Eagles’ win over Siena on Oct. 16 marked the first conference-opening win for Niagara since it beat Rider on the road in four games in 2002.
After dropping a five-game match to Rider on the road last weekend, Fairfield is itching to get back atop the league standings. Iona is tied with the Purple Eagles for first in the league after defeating Loyola and Rider in the opening weekend.
A LOOK AT THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara looks to extend a two-match winning streak after beating Siena and Marist in five games each Oct. 16-17. A pair of victories this weekend would match the 1992 squad’s 4-0 start (Iona, Siena, Fairfield, Manhattan).
Statistically, Niagara is hitting .177 as a team and allowing opponents to hit .236. Junior middle hitter Karen Simpson is leading the Purple Eagles with a .300 hitting percentage and is second in blocks (38). Classmate Michelle LeSouder is the only other attacker hitting a .200 percentage-or-better (.286). She leads the squad in kills per game (4.14) and is third in aces (11).
Junior Jennifer Hansford had been handling all the setting duties, averaging 9.33 assists per game. She is also one of three players digging two-or-more attacks a game (2.15).
Defensively, Niagara is digging a lot of balls. Junior libero Micole Daluisio tops the team with 4.71 a game, while junior outside attacker Erin Graham is second (2.54). Graham is also second on the squad in kills per game (3.60).
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Fairfield
Fairfield went 1-1 in its first week of conference action. The Stags had their five-match winning streak snapped by Rider and then rebounded with a win over Loyola.
The Stags are hitting .199, while opponents are hitting .185. Junior outside hitter Casey Machon is hitting a team-best .268, while freshman Lindsey Lee is collecting a team-leading 3.54 kills and 4.44 digs per game.
Freshman Lauren Campbell is hitting .243 and leads Fairfield in blocks (70). Rookie outside hitter Jazmin Pa’akaula is the conference’s defending MAAC Rookie of the Week after recording 48 kills, a .248 hitting percentage, six service aces, and 45 digs last week.
Iona
Iona went unscathed in the conference-opening weekend with wins at Loyola and Rider.
The Gaels are led by junior middle blocker Miki Hogg. She averaged a team-best 3.35 kills per game and has a league-leading 116 blocks.
Senior setter Emily Mansur tops the team with a .406 hitting percentage, 10.55 assists per game and 27 aces. She is also second in blocks with 64.
Iona plays Canisius on Friday before hosting Niagara Sunday.
SERIES RECORDS
Niagara leads in the Iona series, 9-7, but trails against Fairfield, 11-3.
The Purple Eagles lost in five games to the Stags in the Gallagher Center last year. LeSouder had a match-high 29 kills and hit .364 in the loss. Graham had 24 kills, hit .316 and added 14 digs.
Niagara lost to Iona in the final game of the season last year, 3-2. LeSouder had a match-high 20 kills and Graham posted a double-double with 16 kills and 15 digs.
The Purple Eagles last beat Fairfield in 2001 and Iona in 2000.
HER BUSINESS IS DEFENSE, BUSINESS IS GOOD
Junior Micole Daluisio earned her second MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honor Monday.
The defending MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 5.00 digs per game in helping the Purple Eagles to a 2-1 week. Daluisio had a season-high 29 digs vs. Marist and had two 20-dig matches for the weekend.
ALL-TIME LEADER
Junior Michelle LeSouder continues to build on her school record as Niagara’s career leader in kills (1,192).
LeSouder entered the season with 948 kills and has 244 going into the weekend.
The junior is now 55 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 2,294 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 fourth on the career list with 1,130 digs. She needs 126 digs to move into third past Jodie Bowers (1997-00).
THE RUSH IS ON
Freshman Raelean Rush has been improving match by match. The outside hitter is hitting .160 and averages 2.47 kills per game. She leads the team lead in aces (14) and is in double digits in assists (22) and blocks (22).
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 67 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 five players ranked among the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference leaders as of Oct. 18.
In conference matches, Karen Simpson is second in hitting percentage (.378) and Michelle LeSouder is fifth (.360). LeSouder is also second in kills per game (4.90).
Erin Graham is fourth in kills per game (4.60), Jennifer Hansford fourth in assists per game (11.10) and Micole Daluisio fifth in digs per game (5.50).
