NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The Niagara volleyball team (17-6, 10-2 MAAC) extended its program-best win streak to eight matches with a five-set victory at Iona on Saturday. The Purple Eagles reached double-digit conference wins for the first time in program history with a 22-25, 25-19, 26-24, 23-25, 15-13.

"We faced a difficult team today and were forced to battle for a win," Niagara head coach Susan Clements said. "I am proud of the way we competed, especially on the road."

Hannah Hedrick (Cincinnati, Ohio) continued her strong sophomore campaign with a career-best performance. The outside hitter recorded a career-high 31 kills and a .368 attacking percentage while adding 14 digs for her 19th double-double of the season.

Sophomore setter Michelle James (Cincinnati, Ohio) also had the best match of her career, pacing the offense with a career-best 61 assists. She added 14 digs for a double-double and chipped in with four kills, zero errors and two services aces.

Niagara's freshmen also performed well on the road, as Amanda Wilken (Cincinnati, Ohio) added a career-high 15 kills with a .464 hitting clip and Kari Honomichl (Petersburg, Mich.) tallied 18 kills. Sam Morgan (Cincinnati, Ohio) tallied 27 digs to extend her personal streak to 53 matches.

Niagara recorded 75 kills and a .291 hitting percentage in the win. The victory sets up a Sunday match with the top two teams in the conference, as the Purple Eagles (10-2 MAAC) travels to Fairfield (10-1 MAAC).