Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Fairfield University volleyball team opened Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play by shutting down Loyola 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-21) this afternoon. Senior Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had a match-high 14 kills to help the Stags (2-9; 1-0 MAAC) snap their six-match losing skid.

Hughes had her best match of the season hitting .464 for the match with just one attack error. Junior Haililani Pokipala (Honolulu, Hawaii) added eight kills and 10 digs while freshman Hayley Moyer (Riverside, Calif.) tallied seven kills on .500 hitting.

 

The Stags began the match by surging out to an 11-4 lead on a kill by Moyer. Fairfield continued to tack on the points opening up as much as a nine-point lead as they cruised to the 25-18 win.

 

The second set got off to a close start with nine ties and two lead changes. With the score tied 9-9, a kill by freshman Rachel Romansky (Denver, Colo.) sparked an important 3-0 run and gave the Stags the lead for good. Fairfield went on to the 25-20 win.

 

In the final frame, there were 15 ties and four lead changes. The Stags trailed by as much as two points midway through the stanza when back-to-back kills by Pokipala tied things up. After exchanging the next few points, Moyer gave the Stags a 20-19 lead with a kill. Two service aces by Lauren Balmert (Cranberry Twp., Pa.), another kill from Moyer, and a Loyola attack error quickly gave Fairfield the 24-19 advantage. The Greyhounds (5-8; 0-1 MAAC) got two of the points back to make it a three-point set, but Hughes closed the match out with a kill.

 

Sophomore Brianna Dixion (Long Beach, Calif.) finished with six kills on .385 hitting. Romansky had 28 assists, five digs, three kills, and a block.  Defensively, Balmert had a season high 10 digs while junior Alex Lopez (Fort Collins, Colo.) had seven.

 

The Stags hit .290 for the match while the Greyhounds hit .174. Loyola held a slight 5-3 advantage in blocks. Nina Camaioni led Loyola with 10 kills.

 

With the victory today, Fairfield has taken the last 13 meetings from Loyola. Fairfield continues MAAC play tomorrow, September 19, at Rider.