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Volleyball Huddle versus Niagara 3-28-21
Chris Rolfing
0
Canisius Canis 6-3,6-3 MAAC
3
Winner Niagara Niag 3-2,3-2 MAAC
Canisius Canis
6-3,6-3 MAAC
0
Final
3
Niagara Niag
3-2,3-2 MAAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Canisius Canis 25 21 21 (0)
Niagara Niag 27 25 25 (3)
3
Winner Canisius Canis 7-3,7-3 MAAC
2
Niagara Niag 4-3,4-3 MAAC
Winner
Canisius Canis
7-3,7-3 MAAC
3
Final
2
Niagara Niag
4-3,4-3 MAAC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Canisius Canis 22 25 23 27 15 (3)
Niagara Niag 25 21 25 25 7 (2)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Volleyball Splits on the Road at Niagara

The Canisius volleyball team split its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) doubleheader with "Battle of the Bridge" rival Niagara Sunday afternoon at the Gallagher Center in Lewiston, N.Y. 

The Golden Griffins were unable to gain momentum in the first match, as Niagara posted a 3-0 sweep (25-27, 21-25, 21-25). 

Canisius would claim the fourth and fifth sets of the nightcap to earn a split in the doubleheader, scoring the 3-2 victory by scores of  22-25, 25-21, 23-25, 27-25, 15-7.  

Match One Recap
After Canisius started the match with an early 3-0 lead, Niagara stormed back, scoring four-straight points to take the Purple Eagles' first lead of the afternoon. Back-and-forth play between the two rivals was the trend during the first match. The two teams traded points until Niagara swung the momentum taking a 20-15 lead, their largest of the set. After tying the score at 25-all courtesy of a kill from Hannah Nelson, the Purple Eagles closed the set behind a kill from Jaycie Roberts, to take the 1-0 lead. 

The Golden Griffins started the second set with a 5-3 advantage, which included a kill each from Camila Vazquez, Ella Loussia, and Nelson. Canisius struggled in the set to swing the momentum in the Blue and Gold's favor, as Niagara used two seperate 3-0 runs in the frame to claim the second set of the afternoon 25-21. 

Despite falling behind in the match 2-0, Canisius responded starting the third set scoring the first four points, with two service aces by Loussia and a kill apeice from Giulia La Longa and Andrea Diaz Lopez. The Purple Eagles answered the Griffs' surge scoring 10 of the next 15 points in the set, to take a 10-9 edge. After an attack error by the Purple Eagles tied the set up 10-all, Niagara scored four consecutive points, behind three kills from Grace Hetterscheidt. 

Niagara would stretch their lead to 17-11, their largest of the first match, as Canisius was unable to gain control of the set. The Purple Eagles took the final set 25-21, sealed by a kill from Roberts, to complete the first match sweep, 3-0. 

Canisius' attack was led by 15 kills courtesy of Nelson, as the Golden Griffins (6-3, 6-3 MAAC) attack hit .099 (39-23-161). The Griffs had five players hit the double-digit mark in the match, led by 18 each from Bree Long and Nelson. Ashley Kekeisen and Callie Chamulak each posted 15 digs, and Loussia added 13 of her own to the losing. 

Kekeisen and Chamulak paced the Blue & Gold's passing game, with 17 and 14 assists, respectively.  

Niagara (4-2, 4-2 MAAC) was led by Roberts' 14 kills, as the Purple Eagles hit .150 (44-18-173), in the win. Hetterscheidt also posted double-digit kills for Niagara with 13. 

Amanda Darling posted a match-high 26 digs in the winning effort for the Purple Eagles. Jessica Steuer led the match with 22 assists. 

Match Two Recap
A sluggish start in the first set saw Canisius trailing 5-1, however the Golden Griffins would tie the set at 8-8 behind two Rachel Kinney kills and one each from Elle Shult and Ella Loussia. After trading points, Niagara would gain momentum going into the media timeout with the 15-12 edge. Niagara closed the set with a 4-1 run featuring two kills from Jayice Roberts to take the opening set of the nightcap, 25-22. 

Back-and-forth play was the theme of the entire doubleheader, as the second set was another example. Consistent play on both sides of the net, but the Griffs held tight to a three-point lead into the media timeout, 15-12. The Blue and Gold took five of the final six points in the frame, with kills from Kinney, Shult, and Loussia to take the set 25-11, and tie the match at 1-1. 

The Griffs used their momentum from the previous set to claim a 15-9 lead in the third set with three kills each from Hannah Nelson and Loussia. An attack error by the Purple Eagles would give the Golden Griffins a 22-19 lead in the frame, followed by a Niagara timeout. Following the break, Niagara used a 5-1 spurt to claim the third set, 25-23. 

With Canisius taking a 15-13 edge into the media timeout in the fourth set, Niagara swung the momentum in their favor with a 6-3 run to take the lead, 19-18. The Purple Eagles would extend their lead to 24-21, forcing Canisius to use a timeout in order to halt the run. Coming out of the break, the Griffs would take six of the final seven points to take the fourth set 27-25, and force the match into a decisive fifth set. 

The Golden Griffins led 7-4 forcing a Niagara timeout, with three kills from Kinney and one each from Shult, Loussia, and Nelson. After the timeout the Blue & Gold sealed the match with a 8-3 spurt, to claim the set 15-7 and in five sets. 

Canisius (7-3, 7-3 MAAC) was led by Kinney, who tied a career-high with 17 kills for the Golden Griffins who hit .154 (61-25-234) on the attack. Nelson and Loussia would contribute with 13 and 11 kills. 

Nelson led the Griffs with a career-high 28 digs and sophomore Bree Long was right behind with 26 of her own. Junior Callie Chamulak posted a career-high 20 digs as well. 

Kekeisen led the match with 32 assists, a career-high for the junior. Chamulak would also post double-digit assists, with 16 helpers. 

Head Coach Shannon Thompson's Comments
"We came out really lackluster. It honestly didn't feel like we had our team here and we weren't playing like ourselves. In between the first and second match, our message was to respond and play Canisius volleyball. In the second match we continued to grind it out, and we were not going to accept another loss today." 

"In the second match, at the end of the fourth set and into the fifth, the energy and the grit came out and it obviously showed that we wanted to win and not go home with a loss, especially with our last match of the regular-season." 

"The next three days we have to recover, which is going to be huge. Going into the MAAC Tournament we want to play Canisius volleyball and represent the school well. When we play our brand of volleyball we are hard to beat, and the next few days the message is simple. It's win or go home, and there's no option to lose." 

Match Notes 
• After splitting Sunday's doubleheader, the Golden Griffins still hold the series lead over Niagara, 53-50-2. 
• In the nightcap, Canisius improved to 6-0 this season when out-hitting their opponents. 
• This marks the second consecutive season the Griffs have won seven of its first 10 MAAC contests. 
• In the second match, Nelson and Chamulak posted career-highs in digs.
• Kekeisen's 32 assist performance is the first 30-plus assist showing for the Blue & Gold since the 2019 MAAC Tournament semifinals against Quinnipiac, when Cassidy Ceriani posted 41, in the five-set defeat to Quinnipiac. 

Up Next
The Golden Griffins return April 1-3 in Albany for the 2020-21 MAAC Tournament, held at the Albany Capital Center. Time and opponent is yet to be determined.
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