New Rochelle, N.Y. — Niagara volleyball came close but was swept by Iona 31-29, 25-16, 25-23 at Hynes Athletics Center.
The Purple Eagles fell to 1-14, 0-7 Metro, while the Gaels improved to 10-9, 5-2 Metro.
First set
Niagara trailed for nearly the entire first set. After a 1-1 tie, the Purple Eagles did not lead until 25-24. Iona's block went up early to build a 4-1 lead.
Iona stretched the margin to 18-11 with a 5-0 run. Grace Daniels served the last four points, the final one an ace against Katelynn Rottman. Niagara answered with a 4-0 run of its own, and Kadence Goolsby had kills on three of the points to make it 18-15. Rottman then served three straight points, with kills from Kattai on two of them, to make it 22-21.
From there the set went back and forth. Niagara tied it at 24-24 on a Kattai kill and went ahead 25-24 when Iona hit into a block by Goolsby and Jakayla Brown. Niagara also led 26-25, 27-26 and 29-28, the last on a Rottman kill, but could not close. A service error tied it at 29-29. Jaylyn Simon then served the final two points for Iona, a Purple Eagles attack error and an ace closed it out for the Gaels.
Second set
Niagara led only once, 1-0 on a Lee kill, and Iona took control from there. Sanem Bas served three straight points for Iona, two of them aces against Moreland, to make it 4-1.
Niagara got back into the set with a 4-0 run. Kattai had a kill and an ace in the stretch, and Rottman finished it with a kill to make it 11-8. The Purple Eagles pulled within one at 12-11 when Moreland served an ace and Iona hit into the net.
The Gaels scored eight straight points. Kari Smith served the last seven and added an ace. Niagara had four attack errors during the run, and trailed 20-11. Ka'ahanui's ace and a Rottman kill made it 20-14, and a Rottman block made it 21-15, but Iona closed on four straight points, to win 25-16.
Third set
Niagara opened the third set with three straight attack errors and Iona never looked back.
The Gaels led 16-12, but Niagara tied it at 16-16 with a 4-0 run. Kattai had three kills in the stretch, and Brown and Goolsby combined on a block. Noel Perkins served the last three points. Iona went back up 20-17 behind kills from Julia Leonardo and Emma Koceja and an attack error that Smith and Tinaz blocked.
Rottman kept Niagara close, with kills at 21-19, 21-20 and 22-21. A Katherine Ferng error tied it at 22-22, but Smith's kill and an ace put Iona up 24-22. Kattai's kill made it 24-23. On the next point the Purple Eagles hit into the block for the final score, 25-23.
Niagara Notes
Niagara is now 33-28 all-time against Iona
Kattai led the Purple and White with 16 kills, earning a double double with 11 digs
Ka'ahanui led the offense with 18 assists
Brown tallied five blocks
Rottman tallied 10+ kills in back-to-back games for the first time in her collegiate career
Up Next
Niagara returns home to take on Merrimack Friday October 16 at 6:00 pm inside the Gallagher Center.
