SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Niagara University volleyball team split Saturday's competition at the Syracuse Tournament with a loss to Temple in straight sets and earned the season's first victory in a five-set thriller against Delaware State.
 
After today's matches, the Purple Eagles stand at 1-2 on the season, while the Owls improved to 1-0 and the Hornets dropped to 0-2.
 
Senior Amanda Sedore had a team-best 27 kills on the day, while junior Melissa McGwin was close behind with 17 kills.  Sedore and senior Allison Reis added a team-high 26 digs, while freshman setter Alexis Gray garnered 79 total assists, including 47 in the five-set contest against Delaware, and 12 digs.
 
Niagara 0, Temple 3
 
The Purple and White opened the Syracuse Invitational by facing Temple this afternoon.    Niagara nipped at the heals of the Owls throughout the match, but was unable to pull out a victory in the three-set defeat, 25-17, 25-21 and 25-21. 
 
Sedore and McGwin posted 11.5 points and 11 kills each, Reis tallied 10 digs and  contributed the team's only service ace.  Gray also recorded 32 assists and six digs. 
 
"I felt like our team had a slight emotional lil during the Temple match after the high intensity of last night's match," head coach Vilis Ozols said.  "Temple executed very well and we were a notch below where we needed to be.  Technically they out served us and that particularly hurt our chances." 
 
The opening pair of sets was tightly contested, and the final set was no different.  The Purple and White jumped out to a 5-3 lead, only to surrender the next two points, evening the score at five.  Neither team led by more than two points until Temple grabbed a 10-8 advantage and  retained the lead for the remainder of the set despite the Purple Eagles' continuous pressure which included a pair of late kills by Nicole Matheis and McGwin to make it a 24-21 contest. 
 
Niagara 3, Delaware State 2
 
Niagara bounced back after the loss to Temple with a five-set victory over Delaware State to earn the team's first win of the 2014 campaign. 
 
Sedore had another solid match, leading the team in hitting percentage at .196 with 16 kills on 16 attacks. Gray was tops on the squad with 47 assists, while  Matheius wrapped up the second contest with 11 kills and added nine digs.

"It was a nice, hard fought win.  The players battled fatigue with three matches in less than 24 hours and two of them going the maximum five sets," Ozols said.  "The good news is that everyone will sleep better tonight with that first win earned.  The players showed great resolve and determination today."
 
The start of the opening set between the non-conference opponents went in favor of Niagara as the Purple Eagles took a quick 2-0 lead and did not relinquish it until a Nakia Jones kill gave Delaware its first lead of the contest.  Momentum swayed towards Delaware, and despite NU knotting the game 22-22 after a Reis service ace and a kill from Alex Stone, the Hornets were able to hold on to take the first set.
 
Momentum seemed to stay in Delaware's favor in the second set after jumping out to a 4-1 lead, but the Purple Eagles put themselves back in the match coming out with a 16-6 lead which included 13 consecutive points,  four of which came off service aces from Matheis.  The Purple and White would eventually take the second set, 25-14, to even the game. 
 
After the teams traded victories in the following two sets, the Purple Eagles wasted no time in pushing ahead in the fifth and final set creating a 13-2 advantage for themselves.  Although the Hornets were able to battle back with five straight points to make it six-point set, NU closed out the set with the final pair of points to take the game.
 
Niagara wraps up play at the Syracuse Invitational tomorrow afternoon when it faces host Syracuse at 1:30 p.m.