Sophomore Nicole Deobler had a season-high 28 digs with 10 kills for her third double-double of the year, as the Siena Saints took the Niagara Purple Eagles to five sets for the second time this year, falling 3-2.

Sophomore Dakota Jackson notched her third double-digit kills match of the year, as she collected a team-high 12 kills for the Saints. Sophomore Brooke Rogers, as well as freshman Abby Huffman each had 10 kills as well, with Huffman setting a career high. Freshman Meg Giordano tossed out a career-high 20 assists, while sophomore JoJo Ishida collected 25 digs.

For Niagara (8-14, 8-5), three Purple Eagles put up double-doubles in the match, as Mary Redl, Carolina Leitch, and Grace Hetterscheidt put up the numbers. Redl would have the best all-around game, chipping in 12 kills and a team-high 17 digs. Leitch had 14 kills and 15 digs, while Hetterscheidt put up 13 kills and 11 digs while hitting a team-high .571. Setter Jessica Streuer also had a double-double in facilitating the offense, tossing around 49 assists and getting 12 digs.

"There were some really nice things in that match today," said head coach Vilis Ozols. "I felt the setters did a great job of running our offense and that created a lot of opportunities for our attackers. Abby and Brooke had great matches and our overall defense and passing was significant in us playing as well as we did today."

The first three sets went down to the wire, with set one belonging to Niagara by a slim margin. Both sides would fight to a 22-22 score in the set. But, three straight points by Niagara would clinch the set, as a kill by both Redl and Leitch, as well as a Siena attack error ended the set for a 1-0 Purple Eagles lead.

Siena would take the second and third sets, taking a 2-1 lead in the match. The Saints poured it on for a 15-10 lead in the second set, thanks to a 4-0 run that featured a pair of kills from Huffman. The green and gold would push it to 24-20 before Niagara spun off a trio of points to come back within one at 24-23. But it would be Huffman stepping up once again, collecting a kill to notch the set.

Set three would be the exciting spot of the match, as either team wouldn't grab a lead larger than four points. The Saints had their back against the wall with the Purple Eagles up 25-24. But Niagara couldn't capitalize on the spot, as a pair of attack errors and a kill from Rogers gave Siena three straight points and the set win, 27-25 for the 2-1 lead.

The fourth set would see the Saints struggle, as they fell behind early after leading 6-5. Niagara put up an 8-1 run to take a 13-7 lead that they wouldn't give up. The Purple Eagles would sprint to the finish, taking a 25-14 win in the set, tying the match at 2-2 sending it to a fifth and deciding set.

Siena ran out of gas in the fifth set, as Niagara started with five points, and went to a 7-1 lead. Almost halfway home, the Purple Eagles saw Hetterscheidt put up four kills to lead Niagara to the 15-8 win.

The Saints return to the floor next weekend, Saturday, Oct. 27 when they return home for their final two home games of the season. They face Saint Peter's on Saturday, with first serve going up at 1 p.m.