BALTIMORE – The Niagara volleyball team coasted to a straight set (25-18, 25-14, 25-19) victory at the Loyola Greyhounds on Saturday afternoon to extend its win streak to seven matches.

Niagara improves to 13-8 and 8-1 in conference play to remain in first place. The Purple Eagles have now won the last six meetings with Loyola (8-15, 2-7 MAAC).

Niagara took the first set, 25-18, despite having a .071 hitting percentage. The Purple Eagles would bounce back with a much stronger hitting percentage in the next two sets. NU had a .455 hitting percentage (16 kills, one error) in the second set and a .467 hitting percentage in the third set.

Junior Michelle James once again outduel fellow Co-MAAC Preseason Player of the Year in Loyola’s Nina Camaioni. James had a match-high 28 assists, had seven kills with zero errors and compiled four digs, compared to Camaioni’s five kills and five errors.

Junior Hannah Hedrick led the match with nine kills, while sophomore Kari Honomichl and freshman Ellen Senf each had seven kills. Four Purple Eagles had double-digit digs, including Sam Morgan who had 10 digs to extend her double-digit digs streak to 83 matches. 

Niagara looks to tie a program-best eight straight wins on Sunday against Rider at 1 p.m.