Niagara beat STAA, 3-0 (25-5, 25-15, 25-5) and then defeated the Lady Wildcats, 3-0 (25-12, 25-15, 25-12). The home team played with enthusiasm and cohesion throughout all three sets of both matches.

Veteran Niagara head coach Carol St. Arnauld made some lineup changes that proved effective.

“STAA is young and inexperienced, with players on their roster that have never played the game prior to this season,” St. Arnauld said.

“Playing against Coleman, we made some adjustments, with Abby Wells at the libero position,” St. Arnauld added. “Plus, I have Lilly (Loukus) playing on the outside. But passing wise, communicating wise and in our hitting, the girls played at the level tonight I knew we could. When these girls play together as a team, I feel they’ll be hard to beat.”

Niagara junior Erin Lukowicz prepares to serve the ball in the third set of a match versus M&O Conference foe Coleman on Thursday night at Niagara High School. The Lady Badgers defeated both Coleman and St. Thomas Aquinas on the evening, with Lukowicz registering a team-high 17 serving aces.

The Lady Badgers return to action on Tuesday, as they travel to Coleman for an M&O Conference rematch, before returning home Thursday to face Oneida Nation in a varsity only M&O Conference matchup at 7 p.m.

Niagara Stats

Isabel Jacobs: 1 ace, 1 assist, 2 digs

Erin Lukowicz: 18 aces, 5 kills, 1 block, 3 assists, 11 digs

Lily Loukus: 6 kills, 8 assists, 1 dig

Keira Maki: 4 kills, 1 dig

Steph Maes: 3 kills, 1 assist, 4 digs

Morgan Borchardt: 7 aces, 10 kills, 3 blocks, 22 assists, 8 digs

Abbie Richtig: 5 aces

Abby Wells: 2 aces, 2 kills, 2 assists, 7 digs

Bailey Pearson: 5 aces, 11 kills, 1 block, 4 assists, 2 digs

Mallory Sanicki: 5 aces, 11 kills, 1 block, 4 assists, 2 digs

Emma Brasure: 6 aces, 1 kill, 1 assist, 5 digs