Manhattan Holds off Niagara Comeback and Wins in Five Sets
MAAC Sports
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Third seeded Manhattan College defeated sixth seeded Niagara University in the quarterfinal round of the 2014 MAAC Volleyball Championship at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Manhattan took the first set over Niagara 25-22. Both teams kept it neck and neck during the set with four lead changes, eight ties with the latest tie coming at 20-20. Malia McGuinness led the set with six kills while Niagara’s Alexis Gray assisted on all nine of the Purple Eagles kills.
Much like the first set, the second set went back and forth and remained close early on. Niagara took an 8-6 lead, then an 11-8 lead after a kill from Alex Stone before the Jaspers would go on a 4-0 run and take the lead at 12-11 for the final time in the set on a ball handling error by Gray. Manhattan closed out the second set on a 17-7 run to take a 2-0 match advantage.
Niagara won the third set 25-16 to cut Manhattans match lead to 2-1 and extend the match. The Purple Eagles never trailed during the set although the Jaspers were able to tie the match on five separate occasions. With Niagara holding a 13-10 lead, Gray assisted on a kill by Rayenne Hale that led to an 11-6 run to close out the set for the Purple Eagles. Stone and Nicole Matheis combined for 11 kills for Niagara during the third set, which matched the total number of kills for the entire Manhattan team in the set.
The fourth set was the most entertaining set with three separate rallies between both teams. With Manhattan at set point and the score at 24-21, a Niagara kill from Amanda Sedore began a Niagara 3-0 that tied up the match at 24-24. The Jaspers would have set point three more times in the set but would fail to close out it. After a Niagara kill by Matheis to give the Purple Eagles a 29-28 advantage, Stone closed out the set with a kill to give Niagara the 30-28 victory and force a fifth and deciding set.
In the fifth and final set, Niagara continued to ride its momentum early on, jumping out to 5-1 and 6-2 leads. With Niagara holding a 9-6 lead, Manhattan began a 4-0 run that would give them a 10-9 lead, which they would not lose for the remainder of the set closing it out at 15-13 and winning the match 3-2.
McGuinness registered a double-double for Manhattan with a match high 22 kills and 20 digs, while Matheis picked up a double-double for Niagara with 14 kills and 23 digs. Jade Gray of Manhattan and Gray from Niagara both dished out 49 assists in the match.
Manhattan advances to the semifinal round of the championship and plays tomorrow at 8:00p.m. on ESPN3 against the winner of second seed Siena and seventh seed Canisius, which will meet tonight at 5:00p.m.
Niagara will play tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. in the out-bracket of the MAAC Volleyball Championship.