“We did not play to the intensity and expectations that is Niagara volleyball,” head coach Susan Clements said. “We have to improve our ability to put teams away when we are up and not just expect to win.”

Niagara (0-1) looked well on its well to a season-opening win for the third straight season. The Purple Eagles jumped out to a two-set lead behind strong attacking and stingy defense.  Kari Honomichl had six kills in the first set as the Purple Eagles won, 25-15. In the second set, Hannah Hedrick notched five kills, while Sam Morgan recorded 10 digs and Michelle James dished out 11 assists as NU cruised to a 25-12 victory.

Over the next three sets, NU and Oakland (1-0) battled each other to the very last point. Trailing 24-22 in the third set, the Purple Eagles tied the match after consecutives by Kathy Bibler and Honomichl. The Grizzlies, who had a match-high .424 hitting percentage in the set, would score the next two points to take the set.

Oakland used a late surge in the fourth set to pull out a 25-23 victory to setup the fifth and deciding set. Niagara had a 9-8 when the Grizzlies called a timeout; Oakland would go on a 4-1 run after the break en route to a 15-13 fifth set win to claim the match.  

Three Purple Eagles had double-doubles: Hedrick had a match-high 22 kills and 23 digs, Honomichl had 16 kills and 15 digs and James recorded 64 assists and 15 digs.

James’ 64 assists broke her previous career-high of 63 that was set in the regular-season finale at Canisius last season. Morgan extended her NCAA-best double-digit digs streak to 97 matches with 33 digs.

Amanda Wilken was the other Purple Eagle to have double-digit kills with 12. Ellen Senf and Kathy Bibler had nine and eight kills, respectively. Freshmen Amanda Sedore had four kills and Allison Reis had four assists and seven digs in their collegiate debuts.

The Purple Eagles will wrap up play at the Blue-Gold Invitational on Saturday when they face the host, Toledo, at 10 a.m. and Wright State at 5 p.m.