NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College volleyball team completed its 2012 season on strong note with a four set win over Niagara in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play at the Hynes Center. The Gaels knocked off its second straight MAAC playoff bound opponent and finished the season with double-digits in the win column.

After dropping the first set 19-25 the Gaels rallied for three straight set wins 25-23, 28-26, 25-20. It snapped an eight game skid to Niagara and the Maroon & Gold's first win over the Purple Eagles since 2008.

Junior Alicja Pawelec became the ninth player in school history to record 1,000 kills in the win. The Gaels honored seniors Theresa Harvey and Stephanie Roco and fifth-year grad student Molly O'Shea in their final games in Maroon & Gold.

The two teams played evenly through the first 16 points of the match. A Niagara 7-3 run put the visitors ahead 15-11, a lead they it would not relinquish. The Purple Eagle's Kari Honomichl torched the Gaels for nine kills in the set. The Gaels would clamp down on their opponents star through the final three sets though, holding her to just three the rest of the way.

The second set proved to be the closed of the four with 14 tie scores and seven lead changes. Trailing 23-22, Iona scored the set's final three points on a kill by sophomore Taylor Cembalisty, a block by her classmate Catrina Warren and a Niagara hitting error to even the match at 1-1.

Another tight battle marked the third set. After the Gaels opened up a 14-7 advantage, the Purple Eagles chipped away and finally tied the score at 24-24. After trading the next four points made the score 26-26, another Warren block gave the Gaels set point. Harvey - Iona's libero - picked up a kill that won the set after a diving dig went over the net and dropped to the floor and gave Iona a 2-1 advantage.

Iona led wire-to-wire in the final set, jumping out to an 8-0 lead. The Gaels maintained the eight point advantage at 20-12 and held off Niagara in the 25-20 set win.

Cembalisty led the Gaels with 14 kills and a .367 hitting percentage off the bench while posting three blocks. Junior Madisyn Spence had 12 kills and 15 digs.

Warren was the second of three performers with a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. She added seven blocks and an ace for a team-leading 16.0 points. Pawelec posted nine kills and 18 digs while freshman McKenzie Humann had five kills and five blocks in the win.

Sophomore setter Caris Myles recorded 40 kills and a career-best 18 digs.

In the back row, Harvey had a team-best 19 digs and sophomore DS Katie Marabella had 15. Harvey completed her Iona career with 1,603 digs, the second highest total in school history.

Niagara was led by 18 kills by Ellen Senf. Honomichl added 12 kills and 21 digs while Amanda Wilken posted 12 kills in the loss. Setter Michelle James posted 52 assists and 19 digs while libero Allison Reis had 26 digs.

The Gaels complete the season with a 10-19 overall record and 7-10 mark in MAAC play.

1. 1,536 - Miki Hogg - 2002-05

2. 1,339 - Kathy Kunath - 1999-02

3. 1,142 - Megan Dailey - 2003-06

4. 1,117 - Ann Bonner - 1993-96

5. 1,110 - Brehan Judge - 1995-98

6. 1,100 - Sarah Wiener - 2006-09

7. 1,072 - Katie Craft  - 1997-00

8. 1,037 - Kristin Allain  - 2004-07