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Niagara University Athletics

May
1
Niagara University NIA 1-4
3
Winner St. John's SJU 4-0
Niagara University NIA
1-4
1
Final
3
St. John's SJU
4-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Niagara University NIA 29 19 13 23 (1)
St. John's SJU 27 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

St. John's Rallies Past Niagara In Four Sets

QUEENS, N.Y. – The Niagara volleyball team opened play at the Jack Kaiser Classic with a four-set defeat to the host St. John's on Friday night.

SCORE: Niagara 1, St. John's 3 (27-29, 25-19, 25-13, 25-23)
TOURNAMENT: Jack Kaiser Classic
RECORDS: Niagara (1-4), St. John's (4-0)

Match Summary
  • The Purple Eagles handed the Red Storm their first lost set of the season when they took the first set, 29-27.
  • The first set had 11 ties and three lead changes with NU fighting off three set points, before a kill by Caroline Leitch clinched the set. Niagara had 18 kills in the set, which were the most by the Purple Eagles in the match, while holding St. John's to its lowest hitting percentage of the match (.167).
  • St. John's tied the match at 1-1 after winning the second set, 25-19; the Red Storm closed the set on a 5-1 run. St. John's used a 10-1 run to break open the third set on its way to a 2-1 lead.
  • The Purple Eagles remained resilient in the fourth set, which had 11 ties and five lead changes. With the score knotted at 23-23, the Red Storm recorded consecutive kills to win the match.  

Purple Points
  • Madison May had a career-high 18 kills to lead NU in kills for the second straight match.
  • Nicole Matheis recorded Niagara's second double-double of the season with 13 kills and 12 digs, while her .414 hitting percentage led the match and is a season-high by a Purple Eagle.  
  • Alexis Gray had a team-high 42 assists and was one dig away from a double.
  • Rylee Hunt had a match-high 21 digs for her first 20-plus digs match of the season
  • Caroline Leitch had nine kills, eight digs and seven block assists, and Alex Stone had six kills and six block assists.

Coach's Corner
  • "Tonight we played a high quality team in St.  John's and our players competed eye to eye with them. We showed a slight let up in the third set and then narrowly missed pushing the match to a fifth set. This match showed that we're so improved. I don't know that in previous years we could have hung with a team of SJU's caliber and while we didn't pull out the victory tonight, we showed ourselves that we belong on the court with even the toughest teams." – Head Coach Vilis Ozols 

Up Next
  • Niagara concludes action at the Jack Kaiser Classic on Saturday against Binghamton at Noon and La Salle at 4 p.m.

Stay connected with the Purple Eagles through social media. Follow Niagara Athletics on Twitter @NUPurpleEagles and for volleyball updates at @NiagaraVB. Check in with the Purple Eagles on Facebook/PurpleEagles and on Instagram @NUPurpleEagles. 
 
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