Box Score

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – The Fairfield University volleyball team fought hard against defending MAAC Champion Niagara University, but was edged 3-2 (25-23, 17-25, 24-26, 25-22, 9-15) this afternoon.

 

Freshman Rachel Romansky (Denver, Colo.) and junior Haililani Pokipala (Honolulu, Hawaii) each had double-doubles for the Stags while three others were in double figures.

 

Romansky tallied her second career double-double with 45 assists and 15 digs, both season highs, along with five kills. Pokipala notched her fifth double-double of the season with a career-high 17 kills and 14 digs.

 

Senior Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had 13 kills and five digs while freshman Hayley Moyer (Riverside, Calif.) posted 10 kills and two total blocks. Defensively, junior Alex Lopez (Fort Collins, Colo.) had 21 digs.

 

The Stags (6-13; 5-3 MAAC) opened the day by downing the Purple Eagles (12-8; 7-1) in the first set. Niagara responded with a 25-17 victory in the second set.

 

In the third set, the two squads battled it out with 15 ties and nine lead changes. With the score tied 23-23, Moyer put the Stags on top, 24-23, with a kill. Niagara was able to hold off set point as Hannah Hedrick tied it up with a kill. After a Fairfield attack error, Hedrick and Amanda Wilken blocked a Stags swing to give the Purple Eagles the 26-24 win.

 

Fairfield evened the match up in the fourth set with a quick 25-22 win. In the fifth and deciding set, the two teams were tied 5-5 when a kill by Hedrick and consecutive solo blocks by Wilken gave Niagara the three-point lead. With the momentum in their favor, the Purple Eagles went on to the 15-9 victory.

 

Niagara hit .184 for the match while Fairfield hit a collective .110. The Stags held a 57-49 advantage in kills and a 78-75 advantage in digs. The Purple Eagles out-blocked the Stags, 11-4.

 
Niagara's victory over Fairfield was the first since October 29, 1995 and snapped a 20-match losing skid to the Stags. This is also the first time since 2003 in which Fairfield has lost three MAAC matches in a single season; the Stags went 5-4 under then head coach Jeff Werneke.

 

Fairfield looks to get back on track October 16-17 when its hosts Saint Peter's and Siena, respectively, at Alumni Hall.