Box Score


HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Fairfield University volleyball team battled it out with an undefeated Hofstra University squad but fell to the Pride, 3-0 (22-25, 23-25, 23-25) this evening at the Hofstra Invitational. Setter Rachel Romansky recorded a double-double for the Stags, tallying 28 assists and 12 digs.
 
Romansky also added four kills and two total blocks. Junior Brianna Dixion notched a team-high nine kills while rookies Camille Coffey and Lindsay Weaver registered seven kills and two blocks apiece. Coffey also had eight digs.
 
Senior Kendal Dirkin posted five total blocks and six kills while freshman Caitlin Stapleton had six kills and two blocks. Carsen Mata had 13 digs while Haililani Pokipala added eight digs.
 
Fairfield (0-5) held a 39-36 advantage in kills and a 47-42 advantage in digs in the loss. Hofstra (5-0) out-blocked the Stags, 8-7, in a match that featured 31 ties and 12 lead changes.
 
Fairfield went up early in the first set, 10-6, but Hofstra rallied to tie the score at 10. The two teams continued the back-and-forth battle throughout the frame. With the score tied 21-21, the Pride's Anissa Whitney came through with a kill and then assisted on the block to put Hofstra ahead to stay.
 
The second set also was tight. Trailing 17-16, Stapleton delivered a kill to tie it and then put the Stags on top, 18-17, with an ace. Dixion made it a two-point game with a kill on the ensuing serve. Hofstra came back to take a 21-20 lead on consecutive kills by Whitney. After an error by the Pride, Coffey and Weaver notched kills to put the Stags ahead, 23-21. Hofstra, however, responded with a 4-0 run for the victory.
 
There were 10 ties and three lead changes in the final set. With the score tied 16-16, Hofstra went on a 4-0 run. Down 21-17, the Stags posted three unanswered points, which included a kill by Dixion and a solo block by Dirkin. Yet, the Pride was able hold off Fairfield and pull out the 25-23 victory.
 
Whitney finished with a match-high 11 kills and a match-high six total blocks for Hofstra.
 
Fairfield returns to action at the Hofstra Invitational tomorrow, September 3, with a pair of matches. The Stags face NJIT at 2:30pm followed by St. Francis (NY) at 5pm.