NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Niagara University volleyball team (4-20, 2-15) closes its regular season Saturday when it travels down the I-190 to meet long-time rival Canisius College (19-9, 13-4) at 2 p.m. in the Koessler Center.

The Purple Eagles look to end a five-game losing streak and win their first road conference match of the season while the Golden Griffins are playing to keep pace with first place Fairfield University and Siena College in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standings.

Sophomore Nicole Piette (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) leads the team in hitting percentage (.224), is second in kills per game (2.78) and third in blocks per game (0.57). Junior Raelean Rush (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) averages a squad-leading 2.97 kills per game and is second in digs per game (3.55).

Defensively, senior Annie Wachob (Buffalo, N.Y./Mount St. Mary’s) and junior Maurin Lawrence (Corfu, N.Y.) top the squad with 51 blocks each. Junior Sara Mancini (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) leads the team in digs per game (4.83).

Canisius had its four-match winning streak snapped Nov. 5 when it lost in five games to Siena College. The loss dropped the Golden Griffins into third place in the league.

The senior tandem of Mary Boller and Leigh Launhardt lead the team offensively. Boller tops the squad in kills per game (3.82), hitting percentage (.352) and is second in blocks (131). Launhardt is second in kills per game (3.30), hitting percentage (.341) and first in blocks (137).

Jess Stackhouse leads the team in digs per game (5.31) while Jen Smith and Aislinn Hayes average 3.54 and 3.04 digs per game, respectively.

In the first meeting this season on Monteagle Ridge, Niagara took Canisius to four games, but lost 30-18, 28-30, 30-17, 30-20. The Purple Eagles were led by Rush with a team-high 15 kills and 20 digs. Canisius’ Boller led the way with 16 kills while Launhardt recorded 15.

Canisius leads the all-time series, 25-19, and the last time Niagara won in the Koessler Center was 1998 in five games.