SYRACUSE, NY – Niagara volleyball fell in its season opener to Syraucse in straight sets (19-25, 19-25, 22-25) at Women's Building in Syracuse, N.Y.

First Set

Niagara took the first point of the match but fell early as Syracuse got out to an 11-5 lead before the Purple Eagles took a timeout. 

Out of the timeout Niagara got kills from Sydney Wilkes and Janiah Robinson and the teams traded points throughout the remainder of the set, but the Orange took set one 25-19.

Robinson and Liana Tolliver both led the Purple Eagles with three kills a piece in the set. Kyle Blessing tallied five assists, while Gabrielle Belony got her first block as a Purple Eagle.

Second Set

Robinson and Kinga Wronska gave the Purple Eagles their first lead of the game early in the second set. 

The Orange took a 6-3 lead, but Niagara battled back to knot the game up at eight with kills from Wronska and Wilkes. Syracuse took a timeout after Tolliver once again tied the game up at 14.

Following the timeout the Orange went on a run to take set two 25-19.

Wronska recorded three kills, while Paisley Ka'ahanui tallied four assists for the Purple Eagles. Robinson and Payton Lee both recorded two blocks on the defensive end.

Third Set

Niagara held control for most of the third set starting out with a 8-4 run led by two kills from Lee. Syracuse battled back to make it a four point game before Lee recorded her third kill of the set to force the Orange to take a timeout as the Purple Eagles led 15-11.

Syracuse scored three straight points after the break, but Lee and Wilkes both recorded kills to keep the Purple Eagles in the lead.

The Orange took their first lead of the set since the first point to make it 21-20 and finished off Niagara 25-22 in three sets. 

Lee recorded five kills in the final set and Blessing added five more assists to her total.

Niagara Notes

• Niagara falls to 1-18 all time against Syracuse

• Wronska and Lee led the Purple Eagles with six kills a piece

• Belony and Kaitlyn Doyle both made their Niagara debuts.

• Robinson and Lee led the Purple and White with four blocks a piece.

• Blessing led NU with 12 assists the 65th double digit assist game of her career.

Up Next

Niagara will take on Le Moyne Saturday August 30 at 6pm to wrap up their first tournament of the season.