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After a four-match road swing, the Niagara volleyball team is back at the Gallagher Center to welcome the Iona Gaels and Fairfield Stags this weekend.

Niagara (8-9, 5-2 MAAC) won its last two matches of its four-match road trip and will now embark on a five-match homestand, beginning on Saturday at 2 p.m. versus Iona (6-13, 3-4 MAAC); NU will host the Fairfield (12-7, 7-2) at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Niagara enters this weekend’s matches in third place with a 5-2 mark. The Purple Eagle have a chance to move up in the standings as they play the top two teams (Canisius &Fairfield) at home within a week.  Niagara leads the MAAC in aces per set (1.48) and is 40th in the nation, while freshman Taylor Edmonds is 33rd in the nation in aces per set (.42). Also ranking nationally in the top-50 is sophomore Allison Reis  who is 32nd in the nation in digs per set (5.25). Senior Kari Honomichl is now tied for the program’s all-time aces record (139) after service three aces against Canisius and needs 15 kills for third place in career kills.

This weekend’s matches will be rematches of the 2010 (Iona) and 2011 (Fairfield) conference championship matches.

The most recent meeting with the Gaels saw the Purple Eagles rally from a 2-1 set deficit to win in five sets which extended NU’s win streak to eight matches against Iona. The Gaels have dropped four of their last five matches with all four matches coming in conference. Iona does boast the MAAC’s second leader in hitting percentage in Catrina Warren (.324).

NU won all three meetings against Fairfield, including a four-set win in the 2011 MAAC Championship match. The Stags, who have won five straight matches, lead the MAAC in hitting percentage (.204), opponent hitting percentage (.168), assists per set (12.68) and kills per set (13.40). Caitlin Stapleton (player of the week) and Kara Reis (libero) recently earned conference weekly awards.