LMU Invitational
Friday, August 26
No. 12 UCLA (0-0) at 7 pm ET
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Live Stats | Live Video

Saturday, August 27
No. 21 Loyola Marymount (0-0) at 3 pm ET
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Live Stats | Live Video

Illinois State (0-0) at 7:30 pm ET
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Live Stats | Live Video

• The Niagara Purple Eagles open the season with three matches at the LMU Invitational in Los Angeles where they will face two 2015 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 participants.  
• NU opens its campaign against Pac-12 powerhouse the 12^th-ranked UCLA Bruins, who reached the Sweet 16 last season.
• The Purple Eagles' next match will be against the host, No. 21 Loyola Marymount which also advanced to the Sweet 16. Their final match will be versus the Illinois State Redbirds, who went 22-10 last season.

• Head coach Vilis Ozols returns for his fourth season in charge of the Purple Eagles.
• NU returns seven letterwinners from last season's team that advanced to the 2015 MAAC Tournament semifinals; lone senior Alex Stone (led team in blocks & blocks per set), juniors Meghan Higley, Breanna DePra, Alexis Gray (led team in assists and assists per set), Rylee Hunt (led team in digs & digs per set) and Nicole Matheis (led team in kills & kills per set), and sophomore Taylor Kells

• NU welcomes seven Purple Eagles to the program: junior Madison May and a six-person freshman class – Aleksandra Steins, Emillie Wright, Caroline Leitch, Cameron Maris, Draik Banks and Jada Carrol.  

• 2015 MAAC Libero of the Year Rylee Hunt was named to the 2016 Preseason All-MAAC Team.
• Hunt Led the MAAC and was 20^th in the NCAA with 5.21 dis per set.
• Hunt enters the season 133 digs away from cracking the top-5 in career digs at Niagara.
• Gray was named to the 2015 MAAC All-Tournament to conclude her sophomore season.
• Gray led the NCAA in aces per set (0.53) last season.
• Gray enters the season 303 assists away from the top-5 in career assists.

• The Purple Eagles open the 2016 season with four matches in California; three at the LMU Invitational and one at Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 30.
• NU boasts six players hailing from "The Golden State": Alexis Gray, Rylee Hunt, Nicole Matheis, Madison May, Emillie Wright and Cameron Maris.