Ypsilanti, MI – Niagara volleyball could not recover after dropping the first two sets, falling to Valparaiso in four sets (24-26, 21-25, 25-20, 15-25) at Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, MI.

Set One

Niagara got the first three points of the game off multiple attack errors from the Beacons and a kill from Liana Tolliver. 

The Purple Eagles led 15-8 at the media timeout break after the Beacons recorded another attack error. Janiah Robinson kept Niagara's momentum going out of the break with her second kill of the game.

Valparaiso made it a one-point game, forcing the Purple Eagles to take a timeout leading 21-20. Sydney Wilkes recorded a kill out of the timeout break to grow the lead to two.

The Beacons came back to take set one 26-24.

Payton Lee and Kinga Wronska led Niagara with five kills apiece in the first set. Kylie Blessing tallied 13 assists, while Robinson recorded the Purple Eagles' lone block of the set.

Set Two

The Purple Eagles once again got the first points of the set with a Beacons service error and a kill by Lee.

The teams traded the lead back and forth until the media timeout, which saw Valparaiso have a 15-13 lead over Niagara. The Beacons recorded back-to-back points out of the media break.

The Purple Eagles attempted to mount a comeback, making it a two-point game at multiple points during the final 10 points of the set, but Valparaiso was able to hold on for a 25-21 victory.

Lee once again led the Purple Eagles in kills during the set, this time with three. Blessing led with four assists, while Niagara tallied four blocks.

Set Three

Niagara got off to a 6-1 lead over the Beacons to start set three with multiple kills from Liana Tolliver and Robinson.

The Purple Eagles led at the media break 15-11 with a service ace from Tolliver. Niagara scored the first two points out of the break with a Valparaiso service error and a kill from Wronska.

Niagara won their first set of the contest 25-20 with Sydney Wilkes recording a kill to cap off the set.

Tolliver led the Purple Eagles with six kills for the first time in the game, Blessing led for the third time, recording seven assists.

Set Four

The Purple Eagles once again opened the scoring with a kill from Robinson.

The Beacons got out to a 15-10 lead at the media break and extended their lead out of the break.

Valparaiso took down the Purple Eagles 25-15 in the final set of the contest.

Game Notes

Niagara is now 0-2 all-time against the Beacons

Tolliver led the Purple Eagles with 12 kills

Blessing recorded 25+ assists for the fourth time in her career

Natasa Ljubicic made her collegiate debut and tallied her first collegiate kill

Robinson recorded three blocks to extend her team lead to 11

Up Next

Niagara takes on Purdue Fort Wayne September 5 at 4pm for their second contest of the Eastern Michigan Tournament in Ypsilanti, MI.