LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. - The Niagara volleyball team opened MAAC play with a five-set (17-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-18, 15-13) defeat at the Siena Saints on Saturday.  

Four Purple Eagles (4-7, 0-1 MAAC) were in double-digit kills – Nicole Matheis and Alex Stone each with 15, Amanda Sedore had 11 and Melissa McGwin added 10 – but it was Siena's Meghann Wright who led the match with 27 kills. Matheis also had a career-best 19 digs en route to her team-leading fourth double-double of the season. Classmates Rylee Hunt and Alexis Gray led the match with 26 digs and 49 assists, respectively.  

Niagara scored the match's first four points and led as much as 10 in the opening set as it won the set, 25-17. Siena (3-9, 1-0 MAAC) squeezed past NU in the second set, 25-22, before Niagara jumped back in front in the third set. The tightly contested set broke in favor of the Purple Eagles when a kill by McGwin sparked three straight points as NU won the set, 25-22. The Saints got off to a strong start in the fourth set, leading 8-2. NU cut the deficit to 20-16, but it would be the closet the Purple Eagles would get as Siena tied the match at 2-2.

The final set was tied at 8-8 when Siena registered consecutive kills for a 10-8 advantage, which led to a Niagara timeout. NU trimmed the lead to 11-10 and 14-12, but a kill by Wright ended the match in favor of the Saints.

NU continues its road weekend with a match against MAAC preseason favorite Marist on Sunday at 1 p.m.