HAMILTON, N.Y. – Seniors Raelean Rush (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) and Maurin Lawrence (Corfu, N.Y.), and junior Nicole Piette (Lockport, N.Y./Lockport) combined for 23 of 34 kills as the Niagara University volleyball team (0-1) dropped its season opener, 30-17, 30-26 and 30-28, to Rhode Island Friday afternoon in the Colgate Classic on Cottrell Court.

Rush and Piette each had eight kills while Lawrence led the team with a .222 hitting percentage and seven kills.

The Purple Eagles hit better than the Rams, .107 to .092, but errors were the difference as Niagara had 24 non-hitting errors to Rhode Island’s 10.

Senior Sara Mancini (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) collected a match-high 16 digs while Rush had 10. Rookie Lauren Costello (Webster, N.Y.) had a match-best five block assists.

Niagara returns to action Saturday when it plays Colgate at 12:30 p.m. and New Hampshire at 3 p.m.