Match 1
SCORE	Fairfield 3 – Niagara 1 (25-21, 25-12, 25-21, 25-12)
RECORDS	Fairfield (5-0, 5-0 MAAC) – Niagara (2-1, 2-1 MAAC)
LOCATION	Gallagher Center

 
NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. - The Purple Eagles dropped two matches to the Fairfield Stags on Thursday.

Match Recap
1^st Set

• The Stags opened the set on a 5-0 run, but the Purple Eagles scored three straight points on kills from Lexi Bapst, Jaycie Roberts and Mary Redl to put Niagara down by just two points, 5-2.
• Fairfield extended its lead, 9-5, but the Purple Eagles quickly tied things up after a 4-0 run, capped by kills from Roberts and Grace Hetterscheidt.
• Fairfield got back ahead by one point, 10-9, but Niagara went on another 4-0 run to claim the lead, 13-10.
• Niagara led, 18-16, but the Stags scored three straight points to take back the lead, 19-18.
• An error from Fairfield and a kill from Jessica Streuer gave Niagara the lead back, 20-19.
• Fairfield tied things up once again, 20-20, but the Purple Eagles scored four straight points, which included two kills from Bapst, to put them back ahead, 24-20.
• Fairfield scored one more point, but a kill from Bapst won the set for the Purple Eagles, 25-21.

2^nd Set

• The Purple Eagles and the Stags traded to points to open the second set and were tied, 4-4, early on.
• The Stags scored four straight points to take an 8-4 lead. Niagara answered with three straight points to trail by just one point, 8-7.
• Fairfield dominated the remainder of the set, allowing the Purple Eagles just five more points. The Stags won the set, 25-12, to tie the match, 1-1.

3^rd Set

• Niagara and Fairfield traded points once again to open the third set. The Stags led, 9-7, but a kill from Redl and an attack error from Fairfield tied the score, 9-9.
• Fairfield scored three straight points to reclaim the lead, 12-9, but Niagara earned two straight points to trail by just one, 12-11.
• Two attack errors from the Stags tied the score, 14-14, but the Stags quickly reclaimed the lead.
• With the Stags leading 23-18, a kill from Sarah Weiby and two aces from Casey Brown put the Purple Eagles within two points of the lead, 23-21, but the Stags held on to win the third set, 25-21.

4^th Set

• Kills from Bapst, Redl and Hetterscheidt and an ace from Weiby gave Niagara a 4-2 lead.
• Four straight points from the Stags, however, gave them the lead, 6-4.
• Niagara scored two more points to trail by one point, 7-6, but Fairfield went on a 7-0 run to extend its lead, 14-6.
• The Stags allowed the Purple Eagles just six more points and won the set, 25-12, and the match, 3-1.

Eagle's Eye On

• Redl led the Purple Eagles with 11 kills.
• Roberts had 10 kills and nine digs.
• Bapst had a team-high 21 digs and Brown recorded 20 digs. Weiby had 15 digs.
• Streuer led the team in assists with 32.
• Hetterscheidt and Roberts each had two total blocks.

 

Match 2
SCORE	Fairfield 3 – Niagara 0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-19)
RECORDS	Fairfield (6-0, 6-0 MAAC) – Niagara (2-2, 2-2 MAAC)
LOCATION	Gallagher Center

 
Match Recap
1^st Set

• Two kills from Redl, one from Bapst and one from Roberts helped the Purple Eagles to an early 5-2 lead over the Stags in set one.
• Three straight points from Fairfield tied the score, 5-5, but a kill from Hetterscheidt put NU back ahead by one, 6-5.
• Fairfield took the lead, 8-6. Another kills from Hetterscheidt kept NU down by just one point, 8-7, but the Stags went on a 4-0 run to extend their lead to five points, 12-7.
• With the Stags ahead 13-8, Niagara scored three straight points to cut their advantage to just two points, 13-11.
• Niagara and Fairfield continued to trade points. Niagara came within four points of the Stags late in the set, 24-20, but an attack error from the Purple Eagles earned Fairfield a 25-20 victory in the first set.

2^nd Set

• The Stags took a 4-2 lead to open the second set, but four straight Fairfield errors quickly gave Niagara the advantage, 6-4.
• The Purple Eagles had a two-point lead, 11-9, but the Stags tied things up, 11-11.
• A kill from Roberts put NU back ahead, 12-11. The Stags, however, earned two straight points to take a one-point lead, 13-12.
• Back-to-back kills from Roberts put the score back in the Purple Eagles' favor, 14-13, but the Stags quickly took a one-point lead, 15-14, before a kill from Hetterscheidt tied things up once again, 15-15.
• The Purple Eagles and the Stags continued to go back and forth, trading a one-point lead.
• With the Stags ahead by one, 20-19, the Purple Eagles scored three straight points, capped by kills from Roberts and Redl, to get ahead, 22-20.
• Fairfield went on a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead, 24-20, but the Purple Eagles tied the score again, 24-24. The Stags scored the final two points to win the set, 26-24, and take a 2-0 advantage in the match.

3^rd Set

• Niagara and Fairfield kept things close in the third set, trading the lead multiple times.
• The Purple Eagles had a one-point lead, 13-12, but the Stags scored four straight points to take a 16-13 lead over NU.
• A kill from Hetterscheidt left Niagara trailing by just two points, 16-14. Two points from the Stags extended their lead, 18-14, but a Fairfield service error and a kill from Bapst put Niagara back within two, 18-16.
• The Stags, however, kept the Purple Eagles at bay for the remainder of the set, allowing them just three more points. Fairfield won the third set, 25-19, to sweep match two.

Eagle's Eye On

• Roberts recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 kills and 12 digs.
• Redl also had a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs.
• Brown had a team-high 14 digs and Bapst added 11 digs.
• Streuer had a team-best 29 assists.
• Hetterscheidt and Roberts led the Purple Eagles in total blocks with four each.

Up Next

• Due to a campus-wide pause, Niagara's matches at Marist, originally scheduled for March 21, have been postponed.
• Niagara is set to host crosstown rival Canisius for the annual Battle of the Bridge series on Sunday, March 28.

Stay connected with Niagara Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Follow Niagara Athletics all year long on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and purpleeagles.com