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Canisius University Athletics

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Rachel Kinney awaits an Iona serve 3-21-21
Tony Militello
0
Niagara Niag 5-4,5-3 MAAC
3
Winner Canisius Canis 9-3,8-3 MAAC
Niagara Niag
5-4,5-3 MAAC
0
Final
3
Canisius Canis
9-3,8-3 MAAC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Niagara Niag 15 23 21 (0)
Canisius Canis 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Volleyball Advances to MAAC Championship Match

The Canisius volleyball team (9-3) defeated Niagara in its semifinal matchup at the MAAC Volleyball Championship Friday evening at the Albany Capital Center in Albany, N.Y. 

The Golden Griffins maintained control of the entire match defeating the Purple Eagles in three sets (25-15, 25-23, 25-21) to advance to the program's second MAAC Championship title match. 

Match Recap
The Blue and Gold fell behind the Purple Eagles 7-3 in the first set forcing a Canisius timeout. After the break, Canisius would take four-consecutive points to tie the frame at 7-7. The Griffs completely swung the momentum in their favor following the timeout, and would continue their stellar play to claim the evening's first set. Three-straight Canisius points, a kill each from Rachel Kinney, Hannah Nelson, and Elle Shult, would give the Blue and Gold a 25-15 edge in the first frame. 

The two Western New York programs traded points on each side of the net with the Griffs ahead 15-13 into the media timeout. Canisius claimed six of the next eight points to pull ahead 21-15, forcing Niagara to take a timeout to halt the momentum. Niagara scored four-straight points to trim the Canisius lead to 21-19, forcing a Blue and Gold timeout. After Niagara tied the match at 23-23, Canisius took the final two points of the frame, courtesy of a service error by the Purple Eagles and a kill from Ella Loussia. 

In the third and final frame, back-and-forth play started the set with the score knotted at 5-5. A 5-0 spurt by Canisius, which included two kills from Kinney and a kill from Loussia, gave the Griffs a 10-5 lead. With a 24-20 lead that forced Niagara to use a timeout, Canisius punched their ticket to Saturday's title match behind a kill from Nelson, giving the Griffs the three-set sweep of the Purple Eagles. 

The Canisius attack was led by Kinney and Nelson, who each recorded 12 kills. Canisius hit .241 (47-12-145) as a team, while holding Niagara to an .077 attack percentage.

Ashley Kekeisen led the Blue and Gold with a match-high 29 assists. Canisius had four players with double-digit digs, led by Bree Long and Kinney with 18 each. Kekeisen and Nelson would also contribute with 17 and 13 digs. 

Head Coach Shannon Thompson's Comments
"We came out with lots of energy today and played our game extremely well. The girls really want to continue winning and keep grinding. They are doing great at focusing on themselves and playing their game." 

"It's very satisfying to see the success of the girls with all of the challenges that we have faced in the past year. They continue to keep fighting and working hard no matter what the situation is." 

"Tomorrow, we are going to take everything one point at a time and focus on our side of the net and play Canisius volleyball." 

Match Notes 
• The win for Canisius extends the series lead over the Purple Eagles to 54-50-2. The victory is the first for the Blue and Gold versus Niagara in postseason play. 
• Canisius improves to 8-0 on the season when out-hitting their opponents. 
• The three-set sweep Friday afternoon was the first sweep for Canisius in postseason history. 
• Saturday afternoon, the Golden Griffins play for their first conference championship in program history. The match will be the second appearance for Canisius in the championship match, their first coming in 2018, where the team lost to Iona, 3-1.

Up Next
The Golden Griffins return Saturday afternoon in Albany, N.Y. for the 2020-21 MAAC Championship match against the winner of Rider-Siena semifinal contest. The championship match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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