Sophomore Renee Lettow led the Golden Griffins with 18 kills while senior Morgan Ammons had 12 kills. Senior Sarah Podlesh led the Griffs with 25 digs while freshman Janelle Davis had 37 assists. Junior Michelle Godfrey posted a career-high 11 blocks and matched a program record with her nine block assists.

“This is the time of year that defines teams, especially those looking to get into the postseason. That gets built through winning on the road,” Canisius coach Cathy Hummel said. “We need to turn it around quickly, starting with our match against Manhattan on Sunday.”

In the first set, the Golden Griffins built a 16-10 lead on the strength of an 11-3 run. The Gaels would make their way back into the match with an 8-2 run to knot it at 18-18. No team would take more than a one-point lead until the end of the set when the Gaels won the last two points.

The teams reversed roles in the second set, with Iona jumping out to the early advantage, holding leads of 8-4 and 16-13. Canisius would win nine consecutive points on the serve of freshman Carley Youngman, which included two kills from Ammons, to build a 22-16 lead. The Griffs built a 24-20 lead and held on for the two-point win, on a kill from Ammons.

For the second straight set, Iona built an early lead, going up 6-1, before Canisius battled back to tie it at 8-8 on a kill by Ammons. Iona went ahead again with a six-point run, to go up 16-11 on a kill by Colleen Genett. Canisius would only get as close as three points the rest of the way as the Gaels built a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Griffs rallied to win the fourth to force a fifth and deciding set. Iona held a 22-19 lead before Canisius won six of the final seven points, including the last four, to win the set. After an Iona attack error started the run, Canisius got a kill from Ammons and a service ace from Davis before Ammons won it with her fifth kill of the set.

Iona would use an 8-2 run to build 14-6 lead in the fifth. During the run, Rachelle Wilson had three kills for the Gaels. Canisius would win four straight points to make it 14-10 before the Gaels closed out the match.

Wilson led Iona (16-11, 8-7) with 19 kills while Sarah Wiener and Rachel Whitten each had 15 kills. Alyssa Erickson had a match-high 59 assists while Allison Nieters led all players with 34 digs.

Canisius plays its final road game of the regular season on Sunday, when the Golden Griffins take on Manhattan. Match time is set for 11 a.m.

Match Notes: Junior Kaela Glenn had a career-high 14 digs... Iona has won nine of 10 between the teams in New Rochelle... Canisius fell to 6-3 this season in five-set matches... Lettow had seven kills on eight attempts in the first set... Ammons recorded five kills and zero errors on nine attempts in the fourth... The 18 kills by Lettow matched a career high, which the sophomore set Oct. 22, in a 3-2 win at Niagara... Davis set a career high with seven blocks... The 14 team blocks by the Griffs were a season high and the most since the Griffs had 16 against Saint Peter's Sept. 30, 2007.