PHILADELPHIA –The Niagara volleyball team dropped a pair of matches to La Salle and Loyola (Il.) in the season opening La Salle Invitational on Saturday.  

“We came out a little flat (in the first match),” head coach Dottie Porch said. “We executed well, but couldn’t put balls away. In the second match, we competed well but we couldn’t get over that hump.”

Niagara 2 La Salle 3

Niagara (0-2) won the first two sets in dominating fashion.  With the score at 9-7 in the first set, NU went on a 7-2 run as it won the first set 25-16. In set two, NU had its match-high in hitting percentage (.375) and comfortably took the second set, 25-17.

However, the final three sets were plagued with errors which allowed the Explorers (1-1) to make a comeback. La Salle built an early 10-2 lead in the third set en route to taking the set 25-19. The fourth set was up for grabs until the last few points when La Salle won four of the last six points to force the fifth and deciding set.

The Explorers pulled away in the fifth set, in part to a .529 hitting percentage, to complete the comeback win.

Kari Honomichl led the match with 18 kills and had 15 digs for a double-double. Classmate Amanda Wilken had 12 kills to join Honomichl as Purple Eagles in double-digit kills. Michelle James had an impressive return to the court with a match-high 43 assists and 14 digs. Allison Reis made her first career start at libero and had a match and career-high 33 digs.

Niagara 0 Loyola (Il.) 3

Niagara played Loyola (Il.) tough, but was edged in each set to fall in three.

A kill by Honomichl put Niagara up 14-11 in the opening set, but the Ramblers (1-0) rallied to take a 19-17 lead. An ace by James gave NU set point at 25-24, but Loyola eventually took the set, 29-27.

The Purple Eagles were in control in the second set. With the match tied at 11-11, NU had a 7-1 spurt to take an 18-12 lead. Though, the Ramblers once again rallied and tied the match at 21-21. Loyola snatched the set after an attacking error by NU, 25-23.

In set three it was Niagara which crawled back into the match. The Purple Eagles erased an early 8-3 deficit to tie the match at 16-16. Facing match point at 24-22, a kill by Chelsea Watson and Honomichl tied the match 24-24, but a service era followed by a kill by Loyola’s Anna Eytchison clinched the match.

Honomichl led Niagara again in kills with 14 and had 11 digs for her second double-double of the day, while Ellen Senf had a team-best .375 hitting percentage with 10 kills and one error.

Niagara concludes play at the La Salle Invitational on Sunday when its plays Bucknell at 11 a.m.