Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Freshman Hayley Moyer (Riverside, Calif.) posted a career-high 13 kills to help lift the Fairfield University volleyball team to a 3-1 (29-27, 28-26, 22-25, 25-23) victory over Rider University in a close conference match at Alumni Hall.

 

Moyer hit .304 for the match and registered two total blocks. Junior Alex Lopez (Fort Collins, Colo.) added 11 kills and seven digs while freshman Rachel Romansky (Denver, Colo.) notched her fifth double-double of the season with 37 assists and 14 digs while recording five kills.

 

There were 50 ties and 23 lead changes in the back-and-forth battle between Fairfield (10-14; 9-3 MAAC) and Rider (1-21; 0-12). In the first set, the Broncs opened up a 13-9 lead, but the Stags surged back and overtook Rider, 14-13, on a kill by Lopez. Later in the frame, junior Haililani Pokipala (Honolulu, Hawaii) gave the Stags a 24-22 lead with a service ace, but the Broncs held off set point and tied the score. With the score knotted at 27-27, Moyer delivered a kill for the Fairfield lead and Stephanie Cruz (Midland Park, N.J.) gave them the win with a service ace.

 

Rider also took a big 21-16 lead in the second set, but Fairfield chipped away at it before Pokipala tied the set up with a kill. The two teams exchanged the next series of points before a kill by Lopez gave the Stags a 27-26 lead. An attack error by Rider gave Fairfield the 28-26 win.

 

Fairfield trailed at the start of the third set before erasing a four-point deficit to tie the frame at 13-13 on a Lopez kill. Fairfield opened up a 19-17 lead, but Rider tied it up once more. With the score resting at 20-20, Rider managed to rattle off three-straight points. The Stags pulled within 23-22 but a kill by Stephanie Nagy and then a block by Nagy and Kristy Love gave the Broncs the victory.

 

The Stag had a seven point advantage in the fourth set, but the Broncs did not back down. Rider tied the score at 16-16 on a kill by Love and took the lead on a kill by Katelyn Thompson. Fairfield was able to pull ahead, 24-22, but Nagy held of set point with a kill. Romansky came through with a kill on the next play to give Fairfield the win.

 

For the Stags, Pokipala finished with nine digs, six kills, and four service aces. Junior Lauren Balmert (Cranberry Twp., Pa.) had five kills and five digs while classmate Bethany Steiger (Cary, Ill.) had six digs, five kills, and three total blocks.

 

Defensively, sophomore Kara Reis (Ramona, Calif.) scooped up 21 digs for her third-straight match with 20-plus digs. Cruz finished with five digs while senior Hannah Segebart (Littleton, Colo.) checked into the fourth set and contributed five digs.

 

Love led Rider with 12 kills and added four total blocks. Defensively, Alex Chapla had five total blocks for the Broncs while Brittany Gajewski had a match-high 27 digs and Elyse Grassmuck picked up 20 digs.

 

Fairfield returns to action next weekend when the Stags host defending MAAC Champion Niagara University on October 30 and Canisius College on October 31 at Alumni Hall.