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The Niagara Purple Eagles officially begin their quest for a third straight MAAC Volleyball Championship on Saturday at Noon when the top-seeded Purple Eagles face archrival No. 4 seed Canisius in the 2011 MAAC Tournament semifinal at the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City, N.J.

Niagara (23-8) has rolled through the conference since claiming its first MAAC championship in Nov. 2009. Niagara has won 37 of its last 39 matches against MAAC teams since last season, including winning the 2010 MAAC Tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

NU has gone 17-1 in conference play for the second straight seasons, which is a tied for second in best record in MAAC history (Fairfield 18-0 in 2006). The Purple Eagles will attempt to become the first team to win three straight titles since Siena won four consecutive championships from 2005-08; NU snapped Siena’s run with a five-set win in the 2009 semifinal. 

The core of the team returns as it makes a run for the three-peat. Two-time MAAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player Hannah Hedrick leads the team in kills (391) and kills per set (3.59) while placing second in digs (342). Classmate Sam Morgan became the program's all-time leader in digs, broke her own single-season digs school record this season with 654 and has earned MAAC Defensive Player of the Week five times (leads the conference). Junior Amanda Wilken, who was named to the 2009 MAAC All-Tournament Team and 2010 All-MAAC First Team has been putting up solid numbers all season.

The missing piece is MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Michelle James. The two-time setter of the year injured her knee in the fourth match of the season and will return next season as a redshirt senior. Filling in for James is freshman Nicole Bayer, who leads the conference in assists per set (11.30) and is 20th in the nation. Other players contributing this season is co-captain senior middle blocker Kathy Bibler and sophomore Ellen Senf who set a single player season-high with a .650 hitting percentage in the regular-season finale.

The Purple Eagles have set numerous school records during their run in the last two seasons which includes overall, conference and home win streaks. Niagara enters the tournament leading the conference in hitting percentage (.240), opponent hitting percentage (.175), assists (1,365), kills (1,476) and also ranks first in the MAAC and sixth in the nation in service aces per set (1.79).

Niagara has had the better of the series against its archrivals, winning the last six encounters. Canisius’ six-match winning streak propelled them into the four-team field. Canisius (15-14) is led in kills by Danielle Brawn (3.57 kills per set), hitting percentage by Samantha Good (.290), in assists by Janelle Davis (9.39 per set) and in digs by Allyson Severyn (4.87 per set). The Purple Eagles defeated the Golden Griffins in the only meeting at the MAAC Tournament, which was a 3-1 victory in the 1992 MAAC Tournament consolation match.

The winner of the match will face the winner of the No. 2 Fairfield/No. 3 Siena match on Sunday at 1 p.m. for the MAAC Championship. 

Check out interviews with seniors Kathy Bibler and Hannah Hedrick; and head coach Susan Clements before the team leaves for the 2011 MAAC Championships.