Nov. 9, 2014 Final Stats
The Siena volleyball team finished off a huge MAAC weekend in Western New York with a tight four-set (25-21, 23-25, 25-19, 28-26) win at Niagara Sunday. The Saints took over sole possession of second place in the MAAC after Manhattan's completed a season sweep of Fairfield later in the day.
The top two teams get a bye in this year's Championships which will be contested November 20-22 at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. All 10 teams qualify.
Christina Monroe killed eight of her 11 attacks and added five blocks. She killed seven of her eight swings at Canisius Saturday.
Rachel Stoklosa posted a match-high 15 kills - the second straight day she has topped all players in the category after not doing that all season. Monroe and Stoklosa are huge X-factors for Siena moving forward as the Saints already have reliable threats on the outside and middle with Meghann Wright and Jacqueline Skeen.
Setter Haley Howell had 52 assists in the four sets and completed a double-double with 10 digs. Howell's emergence as one of the most proficient setters in the conference has been the main reason Siena has been able to turn its season around and position itself as a true title contender.
Meanwhile, Bobbi Lin Kalama had match-high digs (18) for the 12th time in 16 conference matches, anchoring a backrow that out-dug Niagara 67-57.
Perhaps most impressive, the Saints again showed they are learning how to finish. Niagara threatened to send the match to a fifth set, leading 24-23 and 26-25 in the fourth set, but Skeen keyed a 3-0 Saints' run to end the match with two of her nine kills. Skeen was involved in eight of the team's 14 blocks as well.
Wright had another double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs and Erin Bies added 11 digs off the bench while serving brilliantly. Serving was a key factor with the Saints posting five aces and six errors and Niagara compiling four aces and 11 errors.
Alex Stone led four Purple Eagles in double figures with 14 kills. Niagara had knocked off Marist Saturday and looms a dangerous threat in the upcoming Championships thanks in part to the play of sophomore setter Alexis Gray who added 49 assists Sunday.
Siena has won four straight matches after losing at home to Marist and Fairfield. The Saints are 6-1 in league road contests this season - an encouraging fact with the season wrapping up in New Jersey next weekend against Rider and Saint Peter's.
