Sept. 19, 2010

Final Stats

Siena looked a lot more like the defending MAAC Champions than a sputtering one win team Sunday in Loudonville. The result? A stunning 3-1 triumph over defending league champ Niagara.

Freshman Taylor Akana registered 26 kills and was by far the best player on the court all afternoon. Her only competition may have been ever-improving sophomore libero Lesli Akeo, who led all players with 14 digs. The two Hawaiians helped Siena send a message to the rest of the MAAC: Not so fast.

The Saints (2-8/1-1) raced to an early 2-0 lead with a back-and-forth 25-22 win in the first set and a decisive 25-15 victory in the second. Akana had 10 kills in the first set, helping set the stage for a dominant performance.

On the weekend, the freshman had 46 kills in just seven sets. She added 12 digs today to round out her second straight double-double.

Setter Elizabeth Ives had her top showing of the season, recording 45 assists and killing three of her four dumps. She also displayed leadership on the court, helping the team keep composed after Niagara's inevitable rally.

The Purple Eagles came out firing after intermission and took the third set 25-19 to get back in the match. They led the fourth 15-8 before Ives turned back to Akana, sparking a furious rally. Siena scored nine of the next 10 points to take a 17-16 lead and never trailed the rest of the way. The two teams traded points after Akana gave the Saints a 21-19 lead, and the freshman fittingly sealed the deal with a kill from the outside on match point.

Balanced Niagara was led by Ellen Senf's 14 kills. Amanda Wilkin (11), Kari Honomichl (11) and Kathy Bibler (10) each reached double digits.

Siena continues its five-match homestand Wednesday against Binghamton.