Niagara University, N.Y. — Niagara volleyball fell to Valparaiso 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-16) in the first game of the WNY Invitational Friday night at the Gallagher Center.

The Purple Eagles dropped to 0-7, while Valparaiso improved to 7-4. 

First set: Niagara 16, Valparaiso 25

The Purple Eagles fell behind 0-3 before finding their footing with kills from Kaitlyn Doyle and Sole Rancy followed by an ace from Doyle to square the set at 3-3. After Maddie Steele's ace put Valparaiso up 3-5, Niagara worked back even at 4-6 and then flipped the set with a three-point stretch on with a kill from Katelynn Rottman, a block Kadence Goolsby and Taylor Jenkins, and Perkins' ace for an 8-7 lead.

Valparaiso answered with four in a row, but Chloe Moreland's back-to-back kills pulled Niagara level at 11-11. Uhwat's kill and a Steele attack error opened separation, and after the media timeout at 12-15 the Beacons ran off five straight on Uhwat's serve with kills by Steele, Gove and Helming sandwiched around an ace for a 13-20 cushion. Niagara scratched out three of the next six, including Lee kills at 14-20 and 15-21, but Jessica Pickett's kill ended it 25-16.

Second set: Niagara 18, Valparaiso 25

Lee opened the second with a kill, Uhwat sent an attack long, and with Ashley Moreland serving the Purple Eagles rattled off three in a row, two Rottman kills and an ace, for a 6-1 lead that forced a Valparaiso timeout.

Valparaiso erased the lead with Two Gove kills and a block by Pickett to trim the margin to 7-5, and the sides traded points to 9-8 before the Beacons scored six consecutive points on Rylee Bumgardner's serve, three of them Niagara attack errors, to lead 9-14.

Niagara refused to fold as Doyle produced consecutive kills to get within 11-14, and after Mia McCall's ace the Purple Eagles won four of five on Natasa Ljubicic's kill, a block by Ljubicic and Lee, another block of Uhwat by Lee, and a Uhwat error, to close to 15-16.

Danica Goch's serving run ended the comeback. The Valparaiso server delivered three straight aces, to push the lead to 16-23. Rottman and Helming traded blocks in the closing rally before Gove ended it 25-18.

Third set: Niagara 16, Valparaiso 25

Valparaiso seized control immediately of the third set getting out to a 2-5 lead. Niagara stayed within striking distance through the middle, drawing to 5-9 on Goolsby's kill through a block error and 8-11 after Elyannah Sonza's ace and a Gove ball-handling error. 

The set slipped away in a stretch that saw Valparaiso lead 8-15 at the media timeout. Lee answered with a kill and Uhwat traded points, but Uhwat's ace at 11-20 and a kill from Gove pushed the margin to 10 before a late Ka'ahanui ace and Doyle's kill made the final scoreline 25-16.

Niagara Notes

Niagara is now 0-3 all-time against Valparaiso

Lee led the Purple and White with eight kills

The Purple Eagles recorded six aces with Doyle leading the way with two

Ka'ahanui led the offense with 14 assists

Up Next

Niagara completes the WNY Invitational against Le Moyne Saturday September 19 at 2:00 pm inside the Gallagher Center.