NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Two teams looking to end three-match losing streaks square off Tuesday when the Niagara University volleyball team (2-6) hosts Big Four rival Buffalo (10-5) at 7 p.m. in the legendary Taps Gallagher Center.

The Purple Eagles enter the match after losing their first two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matches this past weekend. They lost a tough five-game match at Marist, 33-31, 30-27, 17-30, 23-30, 8-15, and fell in three at defending league champion Siena, 16-30, 20-30, 21-30.

Junior Maurin Lawrence (Corfu, N.Y.) continues to lead the Purple Eagles. The middle hitter tops the squad with 2.58 kills per game and a .324 hitting percentage. She registered a career high 15 kills in the Marist loss and added 10 kills in the loss at Siena.

Classmate Sara Mancini (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) has been solid on defense for Niagara. The libero averaged 5.62 digs per game this past weekend and leads the team, averaging 4.04 digs a game for the season.

Senior Jessica Piscitelli (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) is three aces shy of breaking her own single-season record for aces. The setter enters the week with 26, 16 shy of Niagara’s single-season mark.

As a team, Niagara is hitting .086 with 11.04 kills, 13.88 digs and 1.12 blocks per game. It is also averaging 2.65 aces an outing.

One of the hottest teams on the East Coast was shut down this past weekend at the Cornell Invitational. After winning 10 consecutive matches between Aug. 26 and Sept. 12, St. John’s snapped the Buffalo’s streak with a convincing three-game win, 30-21, 30-26, 30-16. Buffalo then lost to Binghamton in five games and Cornell in three.

Senior outside hitters Nikki Morzenti and Jenna Mape are both averaging over 3.5 kills per game. Setter Brandie Clark tops the team with a .365 hitting percentage and records 10.57 assists an outing.

Defensively, libero Lizaiha Garcia is averaging a team-best 4.58 digs per game, and the duo of Alyssa Fitchette and Kelsey Lueders each average over one block a game.

As a team, Buffalo is hitting .207 with 14.06 kills, 14.94 digs and 2.81 blocks per game. It is also averaging 2.30 aces an outing.

In the all-time series, Niagara has lost 28-straight matches to the Bulls, beginning in 1986. In last year’s meeting at UB, the Purple Eagles took the Bulls to four games.