ITHACA, N.Y. – The Niagara volleyball team dropped matches against Texas El-Paso and American University at the Cornell Tournament on Friday.

Niagara 0, UTEP 3

Senior libero Sam Morgan became the program’s all-time digs leader as Niagara fell in straight sets (25-13, 25-23, 25-18) to unbeaten UTEP (5-0) in the opening match of the Cornell Tournament on Friday afternoon.

“Sam was tremendous this match and I am so proud of her for reaching this milestone,” head coach Susan Clements said. “She has been a driving force behind our success.”

Morgan’s 24 digs in the match give her a total of 1,805 for her career, surpassing Micole Daluisio ('05) total of 1,793. 

The Purple Eagles fell in a 10-1 hole to start the match and dropped the set, 25-13. NU found itself trailing 16-10 in the second set when it cut the lead to 20-19 after back-to-back kills by Hannah Hedrick. A kill by Kathy Bibler brought the Purple Eagles to 24-23, but an attacking error by Kari Honomichl gave the Miners a 25-23 second set win.

Niagara started the third set with a 4-0 lead before UTEP fought back to tie the match at 11-11. The Miners closed out the match on a 9-2 run for the win.

Hedrick led the team with 10 kills and has recorded double-digit kills in every match this season. Ellen Senf followed with nine kills. Freshman Nicole Bayer set a career-high with 30 assists in her second-ever match.

American 3, Niagara 1

Niagara (2-4) and American (2-2) competed in a highly entertaining match in the third match of the Cornell Tournament. The teams split the first two sets with late runs by each team. The Purple Eagles scored four of the final six points in the second set to tie up the match, 1-1.

In the third set, the Purple Eagles struggled offensively and AU took advantage of NU’s seven errors and had a match-high .324 hitting percentage; AU won the set, 25-18. The Purple Eagles dug out of an early hole to pull within 24-23 in the fourth set, but a kill by AU’s Morgan Hendrix won the match for the Eagles.

For the sixth straight match, Hedrick recorded double-digit kills with a match-high 16. Amanda Wilken and Senf each had 10 kills. Bayer continued her impressive start to her career by setting new high in assists with 45.

“(This was) a much better performance overall,” Clements said. “We really need to get more people to step up offensively to relieve Hannah. We will build on tonight’s performance and work to get a win tomorrow.”

NU will conclude play in the Cornell Tournament on Saturday against Delaware State at 10 a.m. and Cornell at 2 p.m.