The Niagara Purple Eagles will bring their 19-match win streak against conference opponents to this weekend matches versus Iona and Fairfield.
The Purple Eagles (5-7) enter MAAC play winners of 19-straight matches against conference foes, which include the three victories in the 2010 MAAC Tournament en route to claiming its second consecutive title. Niagara ended its regular season on a 16-match conference win streak and its 17 conference wins were tied for second most in MAAC history.
Niagara is currently on a three-match skid after seeing its three-match win streak end against Indiana at the Hoosier Classic on Sept. 10. The Purple Eagles lead the conference in hitting percentage (.226) and are second in assists per set (11.80), kills per set (12.78), aces per set (1.76) and digs per set (15.73).
The Purple Eagles have used a balance offensive attack throughout the season in outside hitters Hannah Hedrick and Kari Honomichl, right side Ellen Senf, and middle blockers Amanda Wilken and Kathy Bilber.
Hedrick has been the constant provider for the Purple and White. Hedrick’s 4.05 kills per set ranks first in the MAAC and 48th in the country and she has been named MAAC Offensive Player of the Week and to three all-tournament teams so far this season. The Cincinnati, Ohio native needs 10 kills to tie Erin Graham (’05) for second all-time in career kills.
Sam Morgan is still the defensive anchor for a Niagara squad that ranks second in the conference in digs per set and 51st in the nation; Morgan herself ranks seventh in the nation with 5.66 digs per set.
Niagara opens conference play with a rematch of the 2010 MAAC Championship match when it plays Iona (3-5) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The Purple Eagles won the championship match in straight sets in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. for their second-ever conference title. Niagara staged a remarkable comeback in the last meeting at Iona on Oct. 31, 2010 which saw the Purple Eagles hold off four-match points in the fifth set en route to winning in five sets to claim the program’s first-ever regular season title.
Iona will be a stiff test for the Purple Eagles. The Gaels rank in the top four in all the major offensive and defensive categories and rank first in the MAAC in aces and digs. Iona has the conference leader in assists in Caris Myles and digs in Theresa Harvey. Catrina Warren and Madisyn Spence are sixth and seventh, respectively, in hitting percentage.
Niagara has won the last six straight meetings with Iona.
NU will visit the Fairfield Stags (3-7) on Sunday for a 2 p.m. start. The Purple Eagles topped the Stags, 3-1, in last season’s MAAC Tournament Semifinal. NU won all three matches, including recording its first-ever sweep of Fairfield in program history.
The Stags sit atop of the conference in assists per set (12.16) and kills per set (13.24) and our third in digs per set (15.22). Senior Kendal Dirkin leads the team in hitting percentage and is fifth in the conference, while junior Brianna Dixion leads the team in kills per set (3.23) and sophomore Rachel Romansky is second in assists per set (9.76) behind Iona’s Myles and freshman Nicole Bayer.
