NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Niagara volleyball team (1-11, 0-2 MAAC) took the defending conference champions to the limit on Sunday, but eventually fell in five sets to Siena (2-8, 1-1 MAAC), 25-21, 22-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-13. The Purple Eagles won the second and third sets to take a 2-1 lead, but could not close the door.

"We played hard and fought back," Niagara head coach Susan Clements said. "They are a seasoned team that has been to the NCAA Tournament. We are pleased with our efforts and are working hard to overcome coming up short."

The Purple Eagles outhit the Saints in kills 32-19 in the second and third frames, but Siena did not fold, winning the final two sets for its first conference victory of the year. Niagara's slim 6-5 advantage in the fifth set was its last lead of the game, though they did fight off four match points before the Saints produced a quick kill for the 15-13 final.

Freshman Holly Allgeier (Louisville, Ky.) led a group of four Purple Eagles in double-digit kills with a career-high 21. She attacked at a .366 clip. Lauren Costello (Webster, N.Y.) followed up the best game of her career with a 17-kill effort. Freshmen Hannah Hedrick (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Kathy Bibler (Bowling Green, Ohio) combined for 24 kills in the loss.

Michelle James (Cincinnati, Ohio) handed out 55 assists, one short of the career-high she established against Marist. She also added 11 digs. This week alone, James recorded 143 assists in 14 sets.

Freshman Sam Morgan (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Hedrick each had 18 digs, while Rebecca Suchy (Lancaster, N.Y.) had 11.

The Purple Eagles will look to bounce back on Sept. 24 when they play host to Missouri-Kansas City. The non-conference tilt, which will be televised on tape delay by Time Warner Sportsnet, is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.