PITTSBURGH, PA – Niagara split its first two matches of the 2024 Chick-Fil-A Robinson Tournament co-hosted by Duquesne and Robert Morris. The Purple Eagles fell in four sets to the Dukes, before defeating the Colonials in straight sets in the night cap.
Niagara is now 2-3 on the season following Friday's split of non-conference matchups.
How it Happened: Niagara at Duquesne
After trailing in the early portion of the opening set, Niagara would go on to win the game 25-23, earning its first set win over Duquesne since 2008. Junior
Liana Tolliver led the Purple and White with four kills, followed by two from senior
Laryssa Imbuzeiro. Junior Kyle Blessing recorded five assists and three digs.
The Dukes took the second set from Niagara, 25-23, despite the Purple Eagles recording a better hitting percentage, .222, compared to .190 for Duquesne. Tolliver once again paced Niagara with four kills, while Imbuzeiro and sophomore
Victoria Latino each recorded two in the set. Junior
Kinga Wronska tallied two service aces and senior
Bella Peroni recorded eight digs, a match-high for the libero.
The third set saw both teams erase significant deficits, however, it was the Dukes who came out on top in the extended set, 29-27. Niagara once again out-hit Duquesne, .259 to .194, with Imbuzeiro and sophomore
Payton Lee pacing the way for the Purple and White. The duo also teamed up for one of Niagara's three total blocks in the set, a match-high for the Purple Eagles. Blessing once again led NU with eight assists.
The fourth and final set of the match was all Duquene as it recorded a match-high .615 hitting percentage with a total of 17 kills en route to the 25-11 set win.
Niagara Notes
• Friday's match was the first between the two programs since 2015. Niagara moves to 0-4 all-time against Duquesne.
• The Purple Eagles recorded a season-high seven aces, while matching its season-best mark with seven total blocks.
• Tolliver's 10 kills are the second-most by a Purple Eagle in a four-set match this season.
• Blessing finished with 21 assists, one shy of matching her season-best of 22 set against Central Connecticut State on Aug. 31. Her 21 assists are the most by a Purple Eagle in a four-set match this season.
• Imbuzeiro finished with three blocks, including one solo block and two block assists, tying her with Lee and
Janiah Robinson for the most blocks by a Purple Eagle in a match this season.
How it Happened: Niagara at Robert Morris
Niagara found themselves trailing early in the first set, falling behind 6-1 before taking its first timeout. The Purple and White would have to play from behind for most of the set until they were finally able to get their first lead of the set, at 20-19, thanks to a
Janiah Robinson kill. Both teams would battle to the end of the set where Niagara would take set one 26-24. Robert Morris would lead Niagara in kills and assists in set one. Leading the charge on offense for the Purple Eagles was Tolliver who would record four kills, followed by Robinson, and Latino with two apiece.
Set two was a back-and-forth affair in which neither team found a higher lead than four. The Purple Eagles had their largest advantage in the set, with a score of 14-11 following a Latino kill. The Colonials would also go up by as much as four, taking a 20-16 lead, however, it was Niagara who would outlast RMU, taking the set 31-29. On the defensive side of the ball,
Bella Peroni would record eight digs while
Kinga Wronska collected five. Both teams were tied in the second set in digs with 25.
The third and final set started with Niagara taking an early 5-1 advantage. Robert Morris would battle back to tie the set at 17-17. The Colonials would only record two more points as the Purple Eagles went on an 8-0 run to secure the third set 25-19. Seven different Purple Eagles would record at least one kill in the final set. Imbuzeiro would lead the team with four block assists and one solo block.
Niagara Notes
• Niagara improves to 3-2 all-time against Robert Morris.
• The last time Niagara would beat a Horizon League foe would be on Saturday, August 11 with a win against Wright State (3-0).
• Tolliver would set a new season record for her with 13 kills, 12 digs, and 2 total blocks
• Imbuzeiro would set her new career high in total blocks with 10.
• Peroni would be the first Purple Eagle to crack 100 digs this season. She sits currently at 102 digs.
Up Next
Niagara will close out the Chick-Fil-A Robinson Tournament with a neutral site match against Coppin State on Saturday, Sep. 7 at noon. The match will be played at Duquesne.
