Fairfield, Conn. — Niagara fell to Fairfield in the final game of the regular season 25-15, 25-17, 25-9 on Saturday at Leo D. Mahoney Arena.
The Stags improved to 24-5 overall and 18-0 in the MAAC. The Purple Eagles fell to 2-24 and 1-17 Metro, while the Stags improved to 24-5 overall and 18-0 in conference play.
First set
Niagara got off to its best start of the day. Kattai had the opening kill, and Noel Perkins served three straight points, an ace and two Fairfield attack errors, to put the Purple Eagles up 5-1. Fairfield answered with three straight kills from Lindsey Healey, Harlan Wyche and Emma Bortolotti to cut it to 5-4. Kattai and Rottman kills made it 7-4.
Fairfield took the next four points, tying it at 7-7 on a Wyche ace and going ahead 8-7 when Kadence Goolsby's attack was blocked. Niagara tied it three more times, the last at 10-10 on a Bortolotti service error.
From there the Stags outscored Niagara 15-5. Healey's serve produced a six-point run, two aces and four Bortolotti kills, that made it 23-13. Goolsby had back-to-back kills to make it 23-15, but Mamie Krubally's kill and a Wyche ace closed it out.
Second set
Niagara led 2-1 after a Healey attack error, but Fairfield scored five straight points on Healey's serve for a 7-2 lead. The run included two blocked or errant Niagara attacks and a Healey ace. Kattai and Taylor Jenkins' serving stretch brought the Purple Eagles within 7-5, but they never got closer.
Fairfield pushed the lead to 18-9. Niagara then scored four in a row, two Kattai kills around a Rottman kill and a Rottman ace, to make it 18-13. Krubally ended the run with a solo block of Kattai, and the Stags took five of the next six points to lead 23-15. Rottman's kill saved one set point at 24-16, but Healey ended it on the next rally.
Third set
Katelyn Cook served the first seven points of the set, including four aces, for a 7-0 lead before her only service miss gave Niagara its first point. The Stags led 14-3 before Niagara scored three of the next four points, the first time it had any momentum, to make it 14-6 after a Rottman kill.
Fairfield blocked three Niagara attacks, including two with Cook serving during a five-point run that made it 22-8. Leah Allen was 0-for-3 with two errors in her only set, and the match ended on Purple Eagles errors.
Niagara Notes
Niagara is now 11-51 all-time against Fairfield
Kattai led the Purple and White with 11 kills
Rottman hit a season-high .400 with seven kills
Perkins tallied nine assists
