Fairfield, Conn.- The Niagara Volleyball team (6-15,4-7 MAAC) fell 3-1, as they faced Fairfield in their 11th MAAC matchup of the season.
Match Recap
First Set
·      The Stags jumped out to an early lead as they controlled play by opening up with a 5-2 lead. Niagara earned four of six points to make it 6-5 Stags after an ace from Kylie Blessing.
·      The two teams traded points until Fairfield went on a four point scoring run to take a 12-7 lead.
·      Niagara went on to score eight more points in the set as Fairfield went on multiple scoring runs to win the opening set 25-15.
·      In the opening set the Purple Eagles had nine kills, with eight different players recording points.
Second Set
·      The Purple Eagles opened the scoring in the second set as Kelly McArthur had a kill to open the set. It was Niagara who jumped out to an early lead in the second set as they led 7-4 after the first 11 points.
·      After three straight points for Fairfield, Niagara called a timeout. Out of the timeout the Purple Eagles took four of the next six points to take the 11-9 lead. The Stags once again responded with a four point scoring run.
·      Trailing 13-11, it was time for a scoring run for the Purple Eagles. Niagara scored the next six straight points on kills from Kinga Wronska, Laryssa Imbuzeiro and two from McArthur. After the run the Purple Eagles led 17-13.
·      The teams traded points until Lexi Bapst had a kill to take the second set and even up at the match.
Third Set
·      After winning the second set the Purple Eagles' momentum transferred into the third set as they jumped out to an early 4-1 lead with an ace from Allie Elliott and kills from Bapst and McArthur.
·      The Stags responded by taking five of the next six points to take a 6-5 lead and force a Niagara timeout.
·      After the timeout the teams traded points and were tied at 12 before the Stags went on a run in which they took eight of nine points to have a 20-13 lead.
·      The Purple Eagles attempted to claw their way back into the set as they scored four of the next five points but their comeback came up short.
Fourth Set
·      The Stags once again jumped out to an early lead in the fourth set as they led 6-1 before Niagara scored two straight points to cut the lead to 6-3.
·      The Purple Eagles could not generate much momentum in the set as their longest run of points was just three points, they did it twice.
·      Niagara cut the Stage lead to 22-15 after a three point run but could not claw all the way back as the Stags closed the game with a kill.
Niagara Numbers
·      Niagara had 68 digs in the match, Bella Peroni led the way for the Purple Eagles with 21 while Kinga Wronska had 20.
·      Casey Brown led the way in the assist column as she had 28 assists, Blessing was second on the team with 15. Brown's 28 assists are the second most that she has had in a game all season, her season high came against Penn when she had 44.
·      The Purple Eagles had seven aces in the match while Fairfield had just four.
Up Next
The Purple Eagles close out the weekend on the road tomorrow as they visit Quinnipiac.
