Youngstown State All-Tournament selection Michelle LeSouder

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Youngstown State All-Tournament team selection Michelle LeSouder had 20 kills and hit .655 to help lead the Niagara University volleyball team (1-5) to its first victory of the season, a 30-24, 30-22, 30-23 win over UNC Wilmington (2-6) Saturday afternoon in Youngstown, Ohio.

The junior collected her 20 kills on 29 attempts and one error, and now trails Jessica Anderson by 76 kills on the Niagara all-time kills list. The outside hitter also had four aces and three block assists in the match.

Freshman Raelean Rush (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) had a career-high 13 kills, three aces, four digs and two block assists. Junior Jennifer Hansford collected 34 assists and seven digs. Freshman Lindsay Kriger had five kills and a team-high eight digs. Junior Micole Daluisio (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) also added eight digs.

Niagara hit .314 for the match, including .533 in the third game, and limited UNC Wilmington to .124.

Earlier in the day, Niagara fell to Chicago State (4-3), 23-30, 16-30, 30-28, 26-30.

LeSouder had 17 kills and five block assists, junior Erin Graham had 10 kills and seven digs, Daluisio 26 digs, Rush 13 digs and Hanford 30 assists.

The Purple Eagles return to action Wednesday when they host Big Four rival Buffalo at 7 p.m. in the Gallagher Center on the Monteagle Ridge campus.