Box Score

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Fairfield University volleyball team fell at Canisius College 3-1 (25-18, 15-25, 16-25, 20-25) this afternoon in a battle for the top spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Sophomore Brianna Dixion (Long Beach, Calif.) and junior Haililani Pokipala (Honolulu, Hawaii) each had double-digit kills for the Stags.

 

With the loss, Fairfield (6-12) falls to 5-2 in the league while Canisius (10-9) improves to 6-1 in the conference. Today's decision was the second-straight MAAC loss for the Stags, a feat which has not happened since 2003.

 

Dixion finished with 12 kills, four digs, and three assists. Pokipala tallied 11 kills and nine digs, just missing a double-double. Junior Kendal Dirkin (Oak Park, Ill.) recorded nine kills while senior Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had eight.

 

Defensively, junior Alex Lopez (Fort Collins, Colo.) had 12 digs while sophomore Kara Reis (Ramona, Calif.) and freshman Rachel Romansky (Denver, Colo.) added nine apiece. Romansky also had 42 assists and five kills.

 

The Stags began the match by taking the first set 25-18. Trailing 6-5, Fairfield went on a 9-2 tear to open up a 14-8 advantage. That was all the room the Stags needed as they cruised to the win.

 

In the second set, Canisius led from the onset and never relinquished its lead, rolling to the 25-15 win. The Griffs never trailed in the third set either. They started things off by taking a 9-3 lead and later pushed it to 16-8. Canisius was able to fight the Stags off in the 25-18 victory.

 

There were 15 ties and eight lead changes in the hotly contested fourth set. With the Stags down by two points, kills by Dirkin and Pokipala tied the set at 20-20. Canisius, however, tallied five unanswered points to take set, 25-20, and the match.

 

Samantha Good had a match-high 13 kills on .379 hitting for Canisius while teammate Emily Elek added 12 kills on .344 hitting.