The Iona University volleyball team lost three of their last four games dating back to Sept. 23, snapping a previous four-game winning streak.
Iona traveled to Lewiston, NY to take on Niagara University following a dominant three-set sweep over Saint Peter’s University on Sept. 17.
Niagara came into the match stumbling, producing a 2-9 overall record and going 1-2 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.
Freshman Buse Tinaz helped the Gaels jump out to an early 1-0 set lead, scoring a season-high eight kills and hitting .538 from the middle position altogether. Her three blocks on the stat sheet were also a team high.
Sophomore Mackenzie Wiggins produced a 16-kill, 14-dig double-double, but it was not enough to overcome the surging Purple Eagles in the final three sets.
Iona dropped the match after falling 25-21 in the first and third sets, while losing 25-22 in the second.
The Gaels continued action on Sept. 24 in a noon matchup at Canisius University.
The afternoon proved to be a thrilling turn of events, as Iona won three sets in a row to fight back from a 2-0 deficit.
Canisius held a commanding 21-16 advantage midway through set #1 after scoring 10 straight points.
Senior libero Hope Matschner totaled a single-set high with 16 digs in the following outing, but the Gaels fell by score of 25-20.
Wiggins’ ace and junior Tamara Pichardo’s double-double assist in the third set led the way to a 25-23 Gael victory.
After a tightly contested match in set #4, the Golden Griffins pulled ahead 21-20. The Maroon and Gold went on to steal four of the last six points to even the frame at two apiece.
Tinaz dazzled with her defensive awareness, getting involved on three of her team’s five blocks.
Knotted at 2-2, rookie Ava DeGuzman put the Gaels on top on two separate occasions thanks to a crucial solo block.
Fellow freshman Ezzie Thompson’s strike on an overpass sealed the deal for a 3-2 comeback win for Iona.
Matschner’s 51 digs broke the previous school record of 43 held by herself and ex-liberos Katie Marabella and Allison Nieters, as she leads the nation in digs.
The Gaels returned home after the win, matching up with Quinnipiac University on Sept. 30 and Fairfield on Oct. 1.
Thompson and DeGuzman scored a team-best 14 kills versus Quinnipiac, while the former posted a .448 hitting percentage on 29 attempts.
The standout performance was not enough to avoid defeat, though, as Iona could only manage one win out of four sets.
Matschner’s terrific season continued against Fairfield, as she held her own with 17 digs and posted a perfect 16-for-16 on serve receptions.
Iona could not pick up a set win, losing 25-23, 25-22, and 25-12.
The Gaels hope to get back into the win column as they venture to Marist College for a 6 p.m. game on Oct. 6.
