LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The Niagara volleyball team has successfully defended its title. The top-seeded Purple Eagles defeated second-seeded Iona in straight sets (25-19,25-14,25-18) in the 2010 MAAC Championship match at the HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports for their second-ever tournament title.

“We are a building a tradition at Niagara,” head coach Susan Clements said. “We have great kids that work hard and that are winners. We want to give them something that they can look back on when they have graduated.”

Niagara (25-8) won its second consecutive conference championship and earned the conference’s automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The Purple Eagles will find out their opponent during the NCAA selection show on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. on ESPNews.

Niagara set a program record with its 25th win of the season and extended its program-best winning streak to 19 matches, which is tied for sixth longest in the nation. The volleyball team becomes the first Niagara athletics program to repeat as conference tournament champions and have consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

The Purple Eagles controlled the second and third sets, after a close first set, en route to defeating Iona (20-11) for the third time this season. In the first set with the scored tied at 16-16, NU closed out the set on a 9-3 run sparked by Hannah Hedrick who had six of her 18 kills in the set.

The offense continued to click on all cylinders in the second set. The Purple Eagles went a 15-5 run and won the set 25-14 behind a match-high .375 hitting percentage.  In the third set with NU pulling away leading 18-15, the Gaels called a timeout in an attempt to slow down the Purple and White. However after the timeout, NU scored five of the next seven points to set up match point. Sitting at 24-18, Michelle James set Hedrick who recorded her 18th kill of the match to send Niagara to the NCAA Tournament.

“Iona plays great defense, so we knew we needed our outside hitters to open the floor with shots,” Clements said.  “Our middles, Kathy Bibler and Amanda Wilken, gave us some great options. Hannah was great defensively and offensively; she gave us what we needed when we were down.”

Hedrick tied a season-high with 18 kills and collected 11 digs for her team-best 13th double-double of the season en route to being named Pepsi Max Player of the Game. 

“It was a really difficult game to prepare for, because we have played them three times,” Hedrick said.   “They came read to play and were getting better, but we were getting better too and that is why we came out on top.”

Hedrick wasn’t the only Purple Eagle who provided attacking options in the match. Kari Honomichl provided seven kills, while Ellen Senf and Kathy Bibler each had six kills.  James led the match with 34 assists and chipped in with 11 digs for her 12th double-double of the season. Sam Morgan led the match with 22 digs to extend her double-digits digs streak to 95 matches.