Sophomore Raelean Rush |
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – After splitting this past weekend’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matches, the Niagara University volleyball team (13-8, 3-3) looks to remain in the hunt for a postseason bid when it hosts Little Three rival Canisius College (8-15, 2-4) Saturday night at 6 p.m. in the legendary Taps Gallagher Center. The game will be broadcast tape delay on Lockport Cable and Adelphia Channel 20 on Nov. 6 at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Niagara takes a break from conference action Sunday when it hosts the University of Akron at 2 p.m.
Currently sitting in fifth place in the league standings behind Iona (6-0), Fairfield (5-1), Manhattan (3-1) and Siena (3-2), the Purple Eagles have three matches (Canisius, Rider, Loyola) left to determine if they will be part of the four-team MAAC Tournament Nov. 19-20 in the Gallagher Center.
Niagara improve to .500 in the conference standings when it snapped a three-match losing streak Oct. 30 when it beat Marist in three games. The Purple Eagles’ three losses have been to Iona, Fairfield and Siena, three of the four teams ahead of them in the standings.
Seniors continue to lead the Niagara attack. Michelle LeSouder (Stratford, Ont.) tops the team in hitting percentage (.272) and is second in kills per game (3.44) and blocks per game (0.93). Karen Simpson (Rochester, N.Y.) leads the squad in blocks per game (1.23) while hitting .241. Stephanie Hopkins (Tonawanda, N.Y./Sweet Home) has a team-best 3.94 kills per game and is second in digs per game (3.83).
Setter Jennifer Hansford (Stratford, Ont.) is collecting a squad-leading 6.77 assists and 2.05 digs per game. Libero Micole Daluisio (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) tops the team in digs per game (5.23) and is ranked 21st in the NCAA.
Canisius sits in sixth place in the MAAC and enters Saturday’s match with a three-match losing streak and has won twice in its last seven outings.
The Golden Griffins are led by junior middle hitters Mary Boller and Leigh Launhardt. Boller leads the team in hitting (.362), kills per game (3.57) and is second in blocks (76). Launhardt is hitting .302 with 2.26 kills per game and a squad-best 77 blocks.
In the all-time series, Niagara trails Canisius 24-18. The Golden Griffins have won the last three league matches. The Purple Eagles last won on Oct. 13, 2001, in three games.
The Zips, who have lost five of their last six matches, will host Ball State Friday and then play at Buffalo on Saturday before coming to Monteagle Ridge.
The match also marks the first time Akron senior setter Rachael Rush will play her against her younger sister, Raelean Rush (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home), a sophomore for Niagara. Rush leads the Zips in assists (11.81).
Akron is led by sophomore middle hitter Molly Rutledge. She is leading the team in kills per game (3.79), hitting percentage (.239), aces (29) and blocks (64). Senior libero Shayla Gilbert tops the squad in digs per game (4.83).
