NIAGARA, Wis. — The Niagara Lady Badgers kicked off their 2025 Marinette & Oconto Conference slate with two strong performances Saturday in Oneida, Wis.

Niagara swept all six sets on the day, defeating the host Thunderhawks 25-10, 25-9, 25-6 and Lena 25-10, 25-17, 25-14.

Offensively, Bristol Sanicki, Peyton Allred and Alivia Kleikamp knocked down 10 kills each, Sydney Swanson recorded eight and Alyssa Hedmark posted seven for the Lady Badgers.

Elesia Sweig topped Niagara in assists with 28 and Lily Steinbrecher dished out nine.

Sanicki led the servers with 13 aces, Sweig fired seven, Allred served six and Swanson recorded five.

Defensively, Sanicki paced the Lady Badgers in blocks with eight, while Allred finished with a team-high 20 digs, Grace Payette added 15 digs, Swanson had 14, Sweig posted nine and Sanicki finished with six.

Niagara coach Maryellen Allred liked what she saw from her team Saturday.

“I saw precision with passing and anticipation on defense and a truly balanced offense that made us competitive,” she said. “The girls are still falling into their new roles, but they have started to make necessary adjustments to compete at a high level.”