NEW ROCHELLE, NY - Facing a 2-0 deficit in the match, the Iona College volleyball team won three straight sets to earn a comeback 3-2 (24-26, 15-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-13) victory against visiting Niagara this afternoon in MAAC play.
Claire Archibald led the attack for the Gaels (8-12, 6-3 MAAC) with 23 kills to go along with 18 digs while
Jamie Smith and
Tess Connolly each added 15 kills. Smith added 15 digs and five blocks, all assisted, and Connolly contributed a .364 hitting percentage with four service aces, 12 digs and one solo block.
Emma Rose set the offense with a career-high 51 assists in addition to 13 digs and a kill.
Shaina Campbell notched four assisted blocks and two kills in three sets played.
The Purple Eagles (10-7, 6-2 MAAC) were led by 14 kills from Nicole Matheis, who also posted 12 digs and two service aces. Jacyie Roberts and Grace Hetterscheidt each recorded 11 kills while Roberts added 10 digs and two aces. Rylee Hunt notched the match-high of 32 digs.
Facing a 2-0 deficit heading into the third set, the Maroon & Gold turned a 13-12 deficit into a 17-13 lead with five straight points that included two aces from Connolly. Archibald helped lead the third set 25-20 win with eight kills on a .316 hitting percentage as Rose tallied 12 assists. Leading 23-19 late in the set, the Gaels scored two of the final three points with Archibald and Smith tallying kills.
The momentum continued into the fourth set for Iona as the hosts grew a 15-9 lead following back-to-back kills from Archibald. The combination of Archibald and Smith once again ended the set for the Gaels following a late 4-0 run from Niagara, as Smith closed out the final point to earn the 25-19 win and force a fifth set. Archibald added six kills within the set while Smith and Connolly added four each.
Taylor Cole notched two of the team's four service aces late in the set to create a 23-14 lead on the way to the win.
Niagara jumped out in the fifth and final set with the first four points that was benefited from three Iona attacking errors. The four-point deficit turned around into a 6-6 tie with Connolly swinging for an attack. Following both teams going back and forth, Iona broke a 12-12 with two straight points to force match point as Smith earned a kill followed by a block from Campbell and Smith. After a service error gave the Purple Eagles the serve at 14-13, Connolly sealed the win with a kill that bounced out of bounds off the Niagara block.
The Gaels step out of conference play with a trip to Stony Brook on Tuesday with a 6:30 pm non-conference match.
