Box Score
Box Score
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University volleyball team came from behind in the deciding fifth set to overtake Manhattan College 3-2 (21-25, 25-13, 13-25, 25-19, 15-12) this afternoon in the Stags' home opener. Junior Haililani Pokipala (Honolulu, Hawaii) paced Fairfield with a double-double while classmate Kendal Dirkin (Oak Park, Ill.) tallied a career high 13 kills.
Pokipala posted her third double-double of the year with 11 kills and 21 digs, tying a career best. Dirkin hit .429 for the match with just one error in 29 chances. Dirkin also tallied three total blocks and three digs.
The Stags (4-10; 3-0 MAAC) trailed the Jaspers (7-6; 2-1 MAAC) by a margin of 9-7 in the fifth set when Fairfield came roaring back. Dirkin made it a one-point game with a kill and then tied it, 9-9, by slamming down a Manhattan over pass. A pair of errors put Fairfield down by two points again, but a kill by Dirkin and an ace by Lopez tied the set at 11-11. The Jaspers' Jaci Rahey stopped the run with a kill but Brianna Dixion (Long Beach, Calif.) tied the frame once more with a kill of her own. The Stags were able to hold Manhattan off, posting the final three points of the set for the 15-12 win.
Dixion finished with eight kills on the day. Freshman Hayley Moyer (Riverside, Calif.) posted a season best 12 kills on .550 hitting along with three blocks.Freshman Rachel Romansky (Denver, Colo.) tallied 44 assists, nine digs, and four kills while senior Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif.) had eight kills, seven digs, and three total blocks.
Manhattan came out strong in the first set and posted the 25-21 win. Fairfield bounced back in the second stanza. Leading 7-5, the Stags went on a 6-0 run capped off by a pair Moyer kills. Fairfield later used a 5-0 run to put the set away. The third set went to the Jaspers, 25-13, as they hit .556 while holding Fairfield to a minus-.038 attack percentage due to Manhattan's six blocks in the frame.
Down two sets to one, the Stags regrouped in the fourth, coming away with the 25-19 victory. With the scored tied 13-13, Dirkin sparked a 5-0 Fairfield run with a solo block. Manhattan narrowed the gap to 20-18 but the Stags tipped the momentum with a 4-0 run and forced the deciding set.
Defensively for Fairfield, junior Alex Lopez (Fort Collins, Colo.) posted 11 digs while sophomore Kara Reis (Ramona, Calif.) had nine. Reis also delivered three service aces. For the Jaspers, Rahey had a team-high 13 kills while LaKell Havens had 12. Jamie Collareta had a double-double with 39 assists and 15 digs.
Fairfield continues MAAC play on Sunday, September 26, when it travels to Siena for a 2pm start.
