Niagara University, N.Y. — Niagara volleyball fell in four sets to Saint Peter's 25-22, 25-18, 15-25, 25-16 on Saturday at the Gallagher Center.
The Purple Eagles fell to 2-20, 1-13 Metro Conference, while the Peacocks improved to 6-21, 5-9 Metro.
First set
Saint Peter's opened with four straight points, two on kills by Julia Whaley and two on Niagara attack errors, by Kattai and Lee. The Peacocks led 7-4 after Ka'ahanui's and Perkins' early rallies, then went on a 5-0 run to lead 12-4, with Alondra Fargas serving an ace.
The Purple Eagles fought back. Ka'ahanui served three straight points, including an ace, to cut the deficit to 13-9. Later, Perkins served three straight points to pull Niagara within 18-16, all of them on Peacock's attack errors, two of them on blocks by Sole Rancy, Kattai and Goolsby. Saint Peter's answered with a 3-0 run, including an ace by Briana Tuten, to lead 21-16.
Niagara kept fighting. Goolsby had three kills off Perkins sets in the closing stretch, and Jenkins added a kill to make it 24-20. Lee's kill cut it to 24-22, but Indira Benitez Dumeng ended it with a kill.
Second set
The Purple Eagles started fast. Ka'ahanui served five straight points for a 5-0 lead: kills by Lee, Kaitlyn Doyle and Jenkins, an ace, and another Lee kill. Niagara led 7-4 after a Kattai kill.
Then the set slipped away as Saint Peter's ran off eight straight points to lead 12-7. Fargas served an ace, Elina Arsov had two kills. After a brief Niagara point, the Peacocks went on another 8-0 run, this one with Alicia Valladares serving. She had two aces and the Peacocks got kills from Karolina Rodriguez Mendez, Addison Baglio and Benitez Dumeng. Saint Peter's led 20-8.
Niagara closed the gap with a 6-0 run. Goolsby had a kill, and then Moreland served five straight points, two of them aces, with Katelynn Rottman and Goolsby adding kills. That got it to 21-16. Saint Peter's regrouped and finished it on a Victoria Pruvost kill.
Third set
Niagara controlled the third set from the start. The Purple Eagles led 2-0, then 3-1 when Lee and Rancy blocked Pruvost, and 4-1 when Perkins served an ace. Saint Peter's cut it to 6-4, but Niagara scored the next seven points. Rottman had two kills during the run, and then Ka'ahanui served six straight points. Lee had two solo blocks on Baglio, a Rottman kill and a Benitez Dumeng error also helped, and it was 13-4.
The Peacocks answered with a 4-0 run, including an ace by Rodriguez Mendez on Rottman, to make it 13-8. Niagara responded with a 5-0 run. Kattai had a kill, Rottman served an ace, Jenkins and Kattai had kills, and Lee and Jenkins blocked Whaley to make it 18-8. All four of Niagara's block points in the set involved Lee.
Saint Peter's got as close as 18-11 and 20-12, but Kattai had kills at 20-12 and 21-12, and the margin never dropped below nine. Goolsby had a kill for a 24-13 lead, and Rottman's kill ended it, 25-15.
Fourth set
It was close early, with ties at 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3. Lee had a kill, Rottman served an ace and Kattai had a kill for a 3-2 lead.
Fargas then took over. She served seven straight points in an 8-0 Saint Peter's run that turned a 3-2 Niagara lead into a 10-3 deficit.
The Purple Eagles scored three straight points, with kills by Kattai, a Rancy-Kattai block and another Kattai kill, but trailed 10-6. After Saint Peter's pushed it to 14-6, Goolsby had a kill, Rancy had her only kill of the match and Kattai had an ace to make it 14-9. Saint Peter's pulled away with kills from Whaley and Arsov and an ace by Fargas on Kattai.
Goolsby's kill made it 24-16, but a Purple Eagles attack error ended the match.
Niagara Notes
Niagara is now 39-22 all-time against Saint Peter's
Kattai led the Purple and White with 14 kills
Jenkins recorded a career-high eight kills
Perkins and Ka'ahanui both tallied 20+ assists
Rancy tied a season-high with four blocks
Up Next
Niagara remains home to face Marist Friday October 6 at 6:00 pm inside the Gallagher Center.
