NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Iona Volleyball lost a marathon five-set (18-25, 25-23. 27-29, 25-21, 11-15) thriller against Niagara University on Sunday afternoon. The Purple Eagles came away with a win at the Monroe Athletics Complex despite junior
Jamie Smith collecting 21 kills, 20 digs and 23.5 points for the Maroon & Gold.
Three different Gaels set new career-highs in the loss. With the defeat, the Maroon & Gold fall to 1-3 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.
MATCH SUMMARY
The first set was the most decisive for Niagara, 25-18. The Purple Eagles had seven first-set kills from Mary Redl-Harge and hit .143 as a team in the game. It was the defense that was most important in the opener as Iona's offense mustered a match-low eight kills and a .030 hitting percentage in the loss.
In the second set, sophomore
Alessandra Brady came off the bench and supplied five kills on six swings in the 25-23 win. Smith had four kills along with senior middle-blocker
Karla Johnson. Iona jumped out to a 5-0 lead with redshirt
Jessica Paolucci serving and held on for the win despite six ties and two lead changes in the final moments of the set. The Purple Eagles held a late 22-19 edge but the Maroon & Gold knotted things up at 23. Johnson and sophomore
Cassandra Patsos combined for a huge block to give Iona set point, and then Patsos smashed it home to tie the match, 1-1.
The third set took…a while. Iona and Niagara battled back-and-forth as the frame took 11 ties and five lead changes. The Purple Eagles led by as many as six, 13-7, but the Gaels rattled off six straight to tie things at a baker's dozen. Iona found itself on the brink again after Jaycie Roberts spiked one home to give her team set-point, 24-19. Again it was a massive block by senior
Tess Connolly and rookie
Julia Thomas that gave Iona back the serve, down four.
The Maroon & Gold fought off the brink four straight points, and eventually took a 25-24 lead. The fifth and final lead change put Niagara ahead 26-25, and most importantly, in control of the serve. Iona tied things at 26 and 27, but back-to-back kills by Redl-Harge and Caroline Leitch pushed the Purple Eagles up for good, 29-27.
Smith had seven kills in the third set to go along with seven digs. For the Purple Eagles, Roberts was a monster with nine kills on 23 swings. Iona outhit Niagara in the set, .271 to .208.
Iona won the fourth set, 25-21. It let from the get-go and only two subtle lead changes brought slight hiccups forward before a fifth and final set began. The biggest turning point in the set came when the Gaels lead by just one, 15-14. The Maroon & Gold went on a 6-1 run and took a 21-15 lead, allowing a relatively cushiony finish.
In the fifth and final set, a controversial call late provided the necessary momentum for Niagara to pull ahead and ever the conference win. Trailing 12-10 and with junior
Taylor Cole serving, the Purple Eagle Grace Hetterscheidt was awarded a kill on an apparent Iona tip that put her team up three. Iona scored one final point before the 15-11 set score.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
- Smith's 21 kills are a new career-high. Her previous best was 19, which she had done multiple times, the most recently being against Rider on Oct. 3, 2018.
- Smith's 20 digs are a new career-best as well. Her previous high 16, which she had done multiple times, and again the most recently being against Rider on Oct. 3, 2018.
- Johnson's 18 kills on Sunday is a new personal-best. Her previous best was 14, which she did just this past Saturday, Sept., 28, against Canisius. She also tied a career-best with six block against the Purple Eagles.
- Sophomore Maile Powell had sneakily fantastic double-double with career-highs in both assists with 39, and digs with 24. It's her first double-double as a Gael.
- Niagara's Roberts and Redl-Harge both had 20 kills. They combined for 42.5 of their team's 77.0 total points.
- There were a total of 23 ties and 10 lead changes over the five sets.
- Niagara leads Iona in the all-time series, 19-16. Iona had won the last three matches before falling on Sunday.
AROUND THE MAAC
- Canisius swept the Manhattan Jaspers at Draddy Gymnasium.
- Siena defeated Saint Peter's in four sets in Jersey City, NJ.
- Marist came away with a thrilling five-set win on the road against Rider.
UP NEXT
Iona's next three matches are on the road, beginning on Saturday, Oct. 5 with a trip to Hamden, CT and the People's United Center for a contest against Quinnipiac. First serve between the Gaels and Bobcats is set for 1:00 p.m.
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