Niagara Defeats Iona in Three Sets to Advance to Fifth Place Match
MAAC Sports
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. –Sixth seeded Niagara University defeated eighth seeded Iona College 3-0 and will advance to play in the fifth place match of the 2014 MAAC Volleyball Championship at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The first set was relatively even until a strong surge gave Niagara a 25-19 win. After trailing 10-9, Niagara broke the set open with a 9-2 run that was highlighted by three kills from Alexis Gray.
In the second set, Niagara took the lead from the start, opening the set on an 8-3 run. After a 16-11 run by Iona that brought the set to 19 all, each team would not give an inch. The set was going back and forth until a kill from Logan Rae gave Niagara the second set 25-23. As a team, Niagara posted 17 kills in the set with Nicole Matheis leading the team with five.
The third and final set was all Niagara as they won 25-19. Taking the first point off a kill by Matheis, the Purple Eagles never relinquished the lead. Iona eventually came back to tie the set at 15, but it was too much Niagara as they ended the match on a 10-5 run which was highlighted by two service aces by Gray.
Gray led the Purple Eagles with 28 assists and four kills, with Matheis, Alex Stone, and Amanda Sedore adding eight kills each. The Gaels were led by Catrina Warren, who had 12 kills and 22 digs while Taylor Cembalisty added nine kills and 15 digs.
Niagara advances to the fifth place match and will meet seventh seeded Canisius tomorrow at 11 a.m. Iona’s season comes to end with an overall record of 10-24.