SANBORN — SUNY Niagara women’s volleyball completed its regular season with a 2-2 split. The stretch included a five-set loss to Jamestown Community College on Oct. 15, a three-set win over SUNY Adirondack, a three-set loss to Hudson Valley Community College on Oct. 17, and a four-set win over Roberts Wesleyan JV on Oct. 21.
SUNY Niagara finished the regular season 12-8 (2-3 WNYAC). The Thunderwolves are having their first season with at least 10 wins since 2014 (19-11).
The Thunderwolves begin their postseason run with the WNYAC Tournament at 10 a.m. today at the Flickinger Center in Buffalo. As the No. 2 seed, the blue-and-gold face No. 3 Monroe in the semifinal, and a win would advance them to the championship match at Noon against either No. 1 SUNY Erie or No. 4 Jamestown.
SUNY Niagara then hosts Jamestown in a NJCAA Region III sub-regional at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 in Sanborn, its first home postseason match since hosting the regional tournament in 2014 (lost to Monroe, 3-0, in the finals). The winner advances to the Region III tournament Oct. 31 — Nov. 1 at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua.
As the regular season wrapped up, several Thunderwolves set milestones. Sophomore Ava Roberts (Williamsville North) had a career-high 24 kills plus 14 digs and recorded her 200th in both categories in the first set against Jamestown on Oct. 15.
The NJCAA Region III Athlete of the Week for Oct. 19, Roberts posted double-doubles against SUNY Adirondack (12 kills, 11 digs) and Roberts Wesleyan JV (12 kills, 14 digs) and now has six on the season (seven career). In 29 matches, Roberts has recorded 254 kills (8.75 per match) and 247 digs (8.52 per match).
Freshman Kailey Ciesielski (Depew) recorded her third and fourth career matches with at least 40 assists against Jamestown on Oct. 15 (40) and Roberts Wesleyan JV Oct. 21 (42). This extends her double-digit assists streak to 20 consecutive matches.
A Wheatfield resident, Ciesielski has recorded a team-leading 529 assists (26.45 per match, 7.56 per set), good for fifth among all NJCAA Region III players. Ciesielski is also the eighth Thunderwolf to record at least 500 assists in a season since 2008, joining Kathie Kreppenneck (619 in 2008 and 1,052 in 2009), Brittnee Hallett-Jonathan (931 in 2010 and 596 in 2011), Taylor Akins (541 in 2011 and 1,078 in 2012), Nicholl Martin (752 in 2013), Anniella Cswaykus (648 in 2014), Morgan Boss (512 in 2015) and Ava Gaudy (532 in 2025).
Entering the postseason, freshman Mya Wills (Niagara Wheatfield) has posted double-digit digs nine times and has at least six in all 20 matches, including her 15 against Roberts Wesleyan JV on Oct. 21. Wills leads SUNY Niagara with 211 digs (10.55 per match, 2.97 per set).
Wills is also the first Thunderwolf with at least 200 digs in a season since Juliana Levesque (206) and Cait Cliffe (202) in 2024 and the 23rd overall since 2008. North Tonawanda alum Delaney Laper holds the single-season record over this 19-season stretch with 395 digs in 2013.
Freshman Belle Christopher (North Tonawanda) enters the postseason with double-digit kills in five of her last six outings, including 11 attacks against Jamestown on Oct. 15 and 14 against Roberts Wesleyan JV on Oct. 21, plus at least six digs in 12 matches this season. Christopher is second on SUNY Niagara with 191 kills (9.55 per match, 2.69 per set) and is third wth 129 digs (6.45 per match, 1.82 per set) in 20 matches.
Classmate Kylie McOmber (Roy-Hart) tied her career-high of 10 kills against Jamestown Community College on Oct. 15 and has posted at least six attacks in 14 of 20 matches this season. The team leader in blocks with 28, McOmber is third with 131 kills (6.55 per match, 1.85 per set).