Poughkeepsie, N.Y. — Niagara stayed within reach for most of a tight second set Saturday, but Marist closed it on a late run and swept the Purple Eagles 25-12, 25-23, 25-14 at McCann Arena.
The Purple Eagles fell to 2-17, 1-10 Metro Conference, while the Red Foxes improved to 12-12, 7-4.
FIRST SET
The Purple Eagles scored the first point on a Marist attack error, but the hosts tied it at 1-1 and took control with a four-point run that made it 6-2. Niagara cut it to 6-3 on a Karlotta Kattai kill, but Marist stretched the margin to 11-5 and 18-9 as Sarah Bumstead and Mallory Reck produced kills.
Niagara stayed within shouting distance of the hosts for a stretch late, at 19-12 after a Kattai kill, but Marist closed the set with six straight points. Caelyn Dumas served the last five, including an ace on the final point.
SECOND SET
Marist scored the first five points of the set, four of them on Niagara attack errors, before Niagara got on the board. The Purple Eagles pulled back with a three-point burst, and Kattai and Kadence Goolsby combined with setter Noel Perkins to get them within 7-6.
A run of 4-0 turned a 10-12 deficit into a 14-12 lead. Taylor Jenkins served during the run, which came on a Payton Lee kill followed by three Marist attack errors. It was the biggest lead of the night for Niagara.
Marist answered with a 5-0 run of its own, the last four points on Sara Dasic's serve, with two aces against libero Ashley Moreland, to take a 17-14 lead. Niagara tied it at 17-17, then led for the last time at 19-18. The two teams were tied eight times in the set.
Niagara trailed 23-20 late but got three points in a row on Marist errors to tie it at 23-23. Dasic then put down a kill, and a Kaitlyn Doyle attack error ended the set at 25-23.
THIRD SET
Niagara led 11-10 before Marist ran off eight points in a row to take the match.
The set was tied eight times in the early going, and the Purple Eagles led by as many as two at 7-5, helped by kills from Kattai and Goolsby and two Marist attack errors from Reck. Marist led 10-9 on an attack error by Doyle, but Niagara went back in front after a Doyle kill and a Marist error by Bumstead made it 11-10.
The lead disappeared at 11-11 on a Paisley Ka'ahanui service error. Claudia Kasperski then served seven straight points for Marist, with kills from Bumstead and Dasic, three Niagara attack errors and an ace against Jenkins, to make it 18-11. Niagara scored one point before Marist made it 22-14 and then took the last three points, two of them on attack errors by Kattai and Goolsby.
Niagara Notes
Niagara is now 31-24 all-time against Red Foxes
Kattai led the Purple and White with eight kills
Brown tallied four blocks
Perkins led the offense with 11 kills
Up Next
Niagara heads to Buffalo to take on Battle of the Bridge rival Canisius Tuesday October 27 at 6:00 pm.
