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Niagara Returns To NCAAs For Third Time
The Niagara Purple Eagles will make the program’s third consecutive and third all-time trip to the NCAA Tournament when they face the sixth-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers in the 2011 NCAA Tournament First Round on Friday at 8/7 p.m.

How To Tune In
Fans can follow all of the action on PurpleEagles.com, including the return of the “blog” which has appeared during the last two NCAA Tournament appearances. Northern Iowa will provide live stats and video via UNIPanthers.com.

Mission 3-Peat Accomplished
Niagara’s season-long slogan was made into a reality when the Purple and White won the 2011 MAAC Championship on Nov. 20. NU became the fourth team in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) history to win three straight titles and the first since Siena won four straight from 2005-08; the Purple Eagles started their current run by snapping Siena’s run in the 2009 MAAC Championship Semifinal.

Three Times A Charm
Niagara claimed its third Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship on Nov. 20. The No. 1 seed Purple Eagles defeated the second-seeded Fairfield Stags in four sets, 23-25, 25-17, 34-32, 25-18, in the 2011 MAAC Championship Final to win the conference tournament for the third straight year and third time in program history.

3-v-3
Niagara and Northern Iowa have won their respective conference tournaments the last three seasons.

That Winning Feeling
The Purple Eagles have won 20 of their last 21 matches, while the Panthers have won 23 straight matches entering the NCAA Tournament.

MAAC Dominance
The Purple Eagles have dominated the MAAC since the end of the 2009 season when they won the program’s first-ever conference crown. Niagara is 39-2 against MAAC teams since the start of the 2010 season and has two regular season and conference championships.

Up Next
No. 6 Northern Iowa Panthers (32-1, 18-0 MVC)
The Northern Iowa Panthers will be the host team of the four-team bracket as part of the Gainesville Regional. UNI earned the No. 6 overall seed after going 32-1 this season and has the best winning percentage in the nation (.970). UNI enters the NCAA Tournament on a 23-match winning streak, including sweeping both matches at the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament for its third straight conference championship and 15th overall. The Panthers will be making their 17th appearance at the NCAA Tournament and sixth consecutive trip.

Senior setter Bre Payton headlines the club as she earned MVC Player of the Year for the third consecutive season and was named MVC Tournament MVP. She was joined on the first team by senior middle blocker Michelle Burrow, junior outside hitter Amy Braun and junior middle blocker Krista DeGeest. Head coach Bobbi Petersen was named MVC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career. The Panthers are 59-9 at the McLeod Center, including 16-1 this season. 

Against The Field Of 64
Niagara has faced one opponent in this year’s field of 64, the American University Eagles. The Purple Eagles played the Eagles at the Cornell Tournament on Sept. 2; NU fell 3-1. AU plays Delaware on Friday in University Park, Pa. as part of the Lexington Regional.

Senior Class Success
The senior class of Kathy Bibler, Lisa Bilich, Hannah Hedrick, Michelle James and Sam Morgan are the winningest class in Niagara volleyball history. The quintet have been a part of three conference championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances and have set school records in overall wins, conference wins, home winning streak and conference winning streak.

The group consists of MAAC Setter of the Year (James, 2009-10), Defensive Player of the Year (Hedrick, 2009 & 2011), Libero of the Year (Morgan 2011) and MAAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player (Hedrick 2009-10).

Sitting At The Top
Niagara leads the conference in hitting percentage (.244), opponent hitting percentage (.177), assists (1473), service aces (202, 1.74 per set) and kills ( 1590, 13.71 per set).

All Good Things Must Come To An End
Niagara was in a midst of several winning streaks until they came to a surprising end on Nov. 5 versus conference rival Siena. The Purple Eagles’ 33-match win streak against MAAC opponents was the second longest in conference history. The defeat at home was Niagara’s first in MAAC play since Sept. 19, 2009 (24 matches). NU’s 15-match overall win streak and its 17-match home win streak, which was sixth in the nation entering the weekend, also vanished.

Hed(rick) Of The Class
Senior Hannah Hedrick leads the Purple Eagles in kills (426) and kills per set (3.67), which places her third in the conference. Hedrick is second on the team in digs (361) and digs per set (3.11), and leads the team with 17 double-doubles. Hedrick moved into second place in career kills and currently has 1,578.

Ace Up Your Sleeve
Niagara leads the conference and is ranked seventh in the nation with 1.74 aces per set. Three players rank in the nation’s top 120, led by Kari Honomichl who is 31st in the nation with a conference-best 0.42 aces per set.

Can You Dig It?
Libero Sam Morgan became the program’s career digs leader earlier this season and is currently the conference’s active career leader in digs. Morgan also broke her own school’s single-season digs record with 691 this season. Morgan has been named MAAC Defensive Player of the Week five times en route to earning her first libero of the year award. Morgan leads the conference and is fifth in the nation with 5.96 digs per set. Morgan has recorded double-digit digs in every match she has played in (129), which leads the nation.

Honomich Named MOP
Junior outside hitter Kari Honomichl continued her breakout season by claiming the 2011 MAAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. Honomichl rose to the occasion in the two-day tournament, in particularly in the third set of the championship match. Honomichl recorded the final two kills in the set to win, 34-32, as NU would defeat Fairfield in four sets. Honomichl had 34 kills and 21 digs in seven sets in the tournament. Honomichl was named to the All-MAAC First Team after earning second team honors last season

Senf Close To Home
Sophomore right side Ellen Senf followed her standout freshman season with a solid sophomore campaign. The reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year is third on the squad in kills (286), kills per set (2.47) and her .274 hitting percentage led the team and is seventh in the conference. The St. Paul, Minn. native will be 3 ½ hours away from home when NU plays UNI in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Bayer Relief
Freshman setter Nicole Bayer had some large shoes to fill when she had to replace the two-time MAAC Setter of the Year Michelle James. James, the 2011 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, injured her knee in Niagara’s fifth match of the season. Bayer stepped in and dished out 1,204 assists on the season. Her 11.47 assists per set leads the MAAC and rank 15th in the nation.