Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Junior Kara Reis notched her 1,000th career dig, finishing with 20 on the day, to help lift the Fairfield University volleyball team to a 3-2 (25-14, 17-25, 20-25, 25-22, 10-15) victory over Canisius College in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) opener for both schools.

Reis became the 10th Stag in program history to record 1,000 career digs and now has 1,002 to her credit. The last Stag to reach the 1,000 digs was Brandi Higa in 2008. The Fairfield record belongs to Lindsey Lee who notched 1,674 by the end of her career in 2007.

Fairfield (4-7; 1-0 MAAC) won its seventh-straight MAAC opener and improved to 14-3 in home openers since 1995 with its victory over Canisius (4-7; 0-1 MAAC). The Stags out-blocked the Griffs, 11-10, and posted 71 kills to Canisius' 44. Fairfield also had an87-62 advantage in digs.

Several Stags turned in double-digit efforts. Freshman Camille Coffey registered her third straight double-double with a match-high 18 kills and 16 digs. Junior Brianna Dixion tallied 16 kills and two block assists while senior Kendal Dirkin recorded 11 kills, six total blocks, and four digs, tying a career best. Freshman Lindsay Weaver had 11 kills and set career bests with five total blocks and eight digs.

Setter Rachel Romansky recorded a season-high 57 assists and a season-high seven kills along with five digs and three total blocks, tying a career-high. Freshman Carsen Mata tied a season-best with 19 digs while senior Lauren Balmert notched a season-high 14 digs.

The Stags came out strong in the first set, hitting .471 with 19 kills and toppling the Griffs, 25-14. Fairfield had trailed 7-5, when Dixion came through with a kill and Mata checked in and served six straight points. Coffey capped off the 7-2 run with a kill to make the score 12-8 and the Stags didn't look back.

Canisius responded in the second set, creating a 10-point deficit from which Fairfield could not recover. In the third frame, the Stags jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Fairfield seemed to have the set in-hand when Canisius roared back, pulling within 22-20 on a kill by Danielle Brawn. The Stags were able to fend off the Griffs in the 25-20 win. The Griffs erased a four-point deficit in the fourth set, tying the score, 14-14, after a series of Fairfield errors. With the scored tied 16-16, Canisius used a 5-2 surge to overtake the Stags. The Griffs went on to the 25-22 win.  

Tied 3-3 in the deciding set, a kill by Romansky sparked a 7-2 run for the Stags. It was all the momentum they needed, as Fairfield went on to the 15-10 victory.  

Freshman Caitlin Stapleton finished with eight kills and a career-best five total blocks for the Stags. For Canisius, Brawn tallied 17 kills while libero Allyson Severyn had a match-high 24 digs.

Fairfield returns to action on September 18 when they host two-time defending MAAC Champion Niagara University at 2pm in Alumni Hall.