FAIRFIELD, CONN. – Niagara volleyball saw its season come to a close in the opening round of the MAAC Volleyball Championship Firday evening as it fell to Rider in straight sets (23-25, 12-25, 16-25). The Purple Eagles close the season with a 13-14 overall record and 12-6 mark in conference play.
 
First Set
Niagara would take the first point of the match and build 15-10 lead by the media timeout with a trio of kills from Laryssa Imbuzeiro and Lexi Bapst.
 
Following the media timeout, Niagara would maintain a five-point lead, 20-15, before the Broncs went on a 6-1 run to even the score at 21-21. Niagara and Rider would trade the next three points before the Broncs took the final three to take the set, 25-23.
 
Bapst led Niagara with five kills in the set, followed by Imbuzeiro with four and Peyton Lee and Jenna Vogen with three apiece. Kylie Blessing totaled eight assists, followed by Casey Brown with six.
 
Second Set
Rider jumped out to a 6-1 lead over the Purple and White in the second set, but Niagara would trim the Bronc lead to three, 9-6, after a 5-3 spurt. That was as close as Niagara would get in the set as Rider built a 15-11 lead at the media timeout.
 
Following the media timeout, the Broncs rolled off a 9-0 run to take a commanding 24-11 lead, before finally taking the set 25-12.
 
Vogen recorded a team-high three kills in the set on 10 attempts. Blessing and Brown each recorded three assists. Bella Peroni had an .889 reception percentage and team-best seven digs.
 
Third Set
Niagara and Rider would split the first six points before the Broncs took three-straight to take an early 6-3 lead over the Purple Eagles. With their backs against the wall, Niagara would go on a 4-1 run to tie the match at 7-7, before taking four of the next six points to take an 11-9 lead and force Rider to call a timeout.
 
Out of the timeout the Broncs would work the game to a 13-13 tie and eventually a 19-15 lead over the Purple and White. After Niagara recorded their final point of the set, Rider would go on to take the final six points to earn the sweep of Niagara and advance to the next round of the MAAC Volleyball Championship.
 
Cassie Seminoff had three kills on 11 attempts, while Bapst and Janiah Robinson each recorded two. Blessing once again led NU in assists with four and Peroni recorded six digs and an .857 reception percentage.
 
Niagara Notes
• Niagara earned a trip to the MAAC Volleyball Championship for the 10th consecutive season.
• The Purple Eagles fell in all three matches to Rider this season.
• Friday night's was the first time Niagara was swept since Nov. 5 vs. Rider.
• Vogen and Bapst led the Purple and White with seven kills apiece.
• Blessing led NU with 15 assists, her 22nd match of the season and 19th straight with double-digit assists.
• With a pair of blocks, Imbuzeiro finishes the season with 129 blocks, sixth most all-time in a season by a Purple Eagle. Her 105 block assists ranks fifth all-time.