NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University volleyball team (3-15, 1-10) returns to the friendly confines of the legendary Taps Gallagher Center this weekend when it hosts Saint Peter’s College (11-15, 4-6) and Fairfield University (11-6, 8-0). The Purple Eagles play the Peahens at 2 p.m. Saturday and the Stags at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Niagara and Saint Peter’s both look to snap three-match losing streaks while Fairfield rides a nine-game winning streak into the weekend.

Junior Raelean Rush (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) averages a team-leading 3.02 kills and 3.74 digs. Classmate Maurin Lawrence (Corfu, N.Y.) is averaging 2.62 kills per game (2.62) and has 29 blocks. Senior Annie Wachob (Buffalo, N.Y./Mount St. Mary’s) tops the squad with 11 solo and 27 block assists. Junior Sara Mancini (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) is digging 4.81 attacks per game.

Saint Peter’s is led by Serra Soylu, averaging 4.08 kills, 1.17 blocks and hitting .319. Katherine Sura leads the squad in digs, averaging 2.26. As a team, Saint Peter’s is averaging 11.76 kills, 14.22 digs, and hitting .181.

Fairfield, the defending regular-season MAAC champion and currently in first place in the league, is led by outside hitter Lindsey Lee with 4.36 kills per game, a .295 hitting percentage and 4.40 digs per game. Katie Mann tops the team with 0.98 blocks per game and setter Barbie Thistle is averaging 12.11 assists per game.

As a team, Fairfield is hitting .247 and averaging 15.76 kills and 17.71 digs per game.

Niagara trails in the all-time series with Fairfield, 15-3, and with Saint Peter’s, 17-5. Last year, the Purple Eagles beat Saint Peter’s, 3-0, but lost to Fairfield twice, 3-0 during the regular season and 3-0 in the league tournament. The last time Niagara beat the Stags was 1995 in the Gallagher Center.