BUFFALO, NY – Host Canisius managed to rally from a 2-1 match deficit and claim a five-set win against the Iona College volleyball team this afternoon with a 3-2 (27-25, 20-25, 25-18, 23-25, 11-15) MAAC victory.

Four individuals recorded double-digit kills for the Maroon & Gold (10-17, 8-7 MAAC) led by 15 from Jamie Smith and 14 from Claire Archibald. Smith recorded her kills on a .481 hitting percentage while also setting the offense with 21 assists. Archibald added 11 digs and four blocks, all assisted, to her stat line. Tess Connolly registered 13 kills and 12 digs while Karla Johnson finished with 10 kills and five block assists. Taylor Cole totaled a match-high 16 digs.

Claire Leonard led the winning effort for the Golden Griffins (10-14, 8-6 MAAC) with a match-high 22 kills while Cassidy Ceriani notched 51 assists. Leah Simmons added 14 kills on a .400 hitting percentage in addition to four blocks.

Canisius built the largest margin during the first set at three points with a 14-11 advantage following a kill from Leonard. The Gaels responded with four straight points to regain the advantage at 16-15 on a Connolly kills. As each team traded points and leads throughout the final stages of the frame, the Maroon & Gold broke a 25-25 tie with a Connolly kill and a block from Shaina Campbell and Kassandra Darnaby to win the opener. Smith led the effort with seven kills on seven attempts while also adding seven assists.

The hosts responded in the second set with 10 of the first 13 points that included three attacking errors from the Gaels. The early margin proved to be the difference in the resulting 25-20 set win that was capped off Simmons' fourth kill. Leonard matched her teammate's kill production as Ceriani posted 12 assists. Cole kept Iona alive throughout the set with eight digs.

After the Maroon & Gold built a 6-2 lead to start the third set, Canisius rallied to even the score at 7-7 as both teams stayed within striking distance of one another until Iona created a 20-15 advantage following five straight points with Connolly scoring the 20^th point with one of her three kills in the set. Back-to-back Archibald kills pushed Iona to a 23-17 lead before an attacking error from Canisius closed out the 25-18 win and give the visitors a 2-1 match lead. Johnson ended the frame with five kills on eight attempts while also adding two blocks assists.

Trailing 18-7 in the fourth set, the Gaels responded to get within two points at 21-19 that included a stretch of seven straight points. With the margin cut to one at 24-23 after a pair of attacking errors from Canisius, the Golden Griffins finished out the game at 25-23 with a Simmons kill to force a deciding fifth set.

The Golden Griffins once again jumped out early in the final set with a 7-3 lead before Iona rallied with four straight points to even the score at 7-7. Tied at 8-8, Canisius claimed the lead for good as Sara Wesley created the advantage with a kill followed by joining Cassidy for a block. The hosts claimed the match as an Iona service error produced the 15^th and final point of the set.

The Maroon & Gold play the final of five straight road matches on Saturday with the short trip to Manhattan for a 1:00 pm conference match.