Buffalo, N.Y. — Niagara pushed Canisius to the finish in two sets and won one, but ultimately fell 27-25, 25-15, 22-25, 25-23 on Tuesday night at Koessler Athletic Center.
The Purple Eagles fell to 2-18, 1-11 Metro Conference, while the Golden Griffins improved to 4-18, 3-9 Metro.
FIRST SET
Niagara controlled most of the first set. The Purple Eagles led 7-4 early, helped by aces from Katelynn Rottman and Ashley Moreland. They pushed the lead to 14-9 on a 4-0 run, with Natasa Ljubicic serving as Jakayla Brown and Kadence Goolsby added kills.
Karlotta Kattai piled up nine kills in the set. Canisius kept cutting into the lead and tied it at 17-17. Moreland's ace and two Kattai kills put Niagara back up 20-17, but Canisius answered with five straight points to take a 22-20 lead. Kattai kills tied it at 22-22 and 23-23, and the teams were level again at 24-24 and 25-25. A kill by Azoria Davis and one by Julia Lenik closed it out for Canisius.
SECOND SET
Canisius scored the first four points in set two. Niagara cut a 15-8 deficit to 15-12 behind four straight points, with Kattai kills sandwiching a Golden Griffins error, but then Davis served five consecutive points to make it 21-12. Five of Niagara's 15 points came on Canisius service errors, and Canisius closed it out 25-15.
THIRD SET
The third set was tied 14 times and the lead changed hands seven times. Niagara trailed 5-3 and 6-4 early, then tied it at 6-6 on a Ljubicic kill and went ahead on Brown's back-to-back kills for a 10-8 lead. Back-to-back Davis kills put Canisius up 17-16, but Goolsby and Rottman kills gave Niagara an 18-17 lead, and Rottman and Brown combined on a block for 19-17.
Canisius ran off three straight to lead 20-19, but Niagara scored six of the last eight points. Doyle's kill tied it at 21-21, Lee's kill made it 23-22, and Doyle's kill and a Hayden Siebenaler attack error ended it 25-22 to force a fourth set.
FOURTH SET
The fourth set was a seesaw. It was tied 12 times and the lead changed eight times. Niagara used a 4-0 run, which included an ace from Paisley Ka'ahanui, to go up 9-6 and led 11-8 after a block by Doyle and Brown. Canisius answered with four straight points to take a 12-11 lead.
Niagara pulled back in front 16-14 on a Doyle kill and another Canisius error, but the Golden Griffins scored three in a row to lead 17-16. Niagara went up 21-20 when Brown blocked Lenik, but Davis' kill, which came as Brown was whistled for a block error, tied it at 21-21.
Kenslie Warmbrodt then served three straight points, to give Canisius a 24-21 lead. Lee and Doyle kills cut it to 23-24, but Isroff's kill ended the match.
Niagara Notes
Niagara is now 45-52 all-time against Canisius
Kattai led the Purple and White with 13 kills
Ka'ahanui and Perkins both tallied 19 assists
Moreland recorded a career-high 20 digs
Brown tallied her fourth game of 6+ blocks
Up Next
Niagara returns home to take on Rider Friday October 30 at 6:00 pm inside the Gallagher Center.
