Box Score


NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. The Fairfield University volleyball team rounded out their Western New York swing with a 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 30-28) victory at Niagara University this afternoon. Senior Brianna Dixion paced the Stags with a season-high 20 kills in a rematch of last year's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship final.
 
Dixion hit .415 for the match with just three errors in 41 attempts. She also moved into eighth place all-time at Fairfield in career kills, recording the 1,148th of her career.

Junior Rachel Romansky had her 11th double-double of the season with 42 assists and 15 digs to go along with three kills. Sophomore Camille Coffey  finished with nine kills and 16 digs, just missing a double-double. Sophomore Caitlin Stapleton also had nine kills while classmate Lindsay Weaver had seven kills on .375 hitting.
 
Defensively, the Stags posted 75 digs on the day. Sophomore Carsen Mata tallied 15 digs, senior Kara Reis tallied 10 digs while sophomore Marilyn Peizer tied a career-best with 11 digs. The Stags also had four blocks, as junior Hayley Moyer was a part of three of those blocks.
 
Fairfield never trailed in the opening set and posted 17 kills, eight of which belonged to Dixion. After Niagara pulled within 16-15, the Stags responded with a 9-2 run to come away with the 25-17 win.
 
The second set was a bit closer with 12 ties and three lead changes. The Stags were trailing 17-16 when Dixion ignited the offense with a kill. Weaver put the Stags ahead with a kill of her own while Stapleton delivered a pair of kills to make the score 20-17 and force a Niagara timeout. Out of the break, Stapleton posted another kill to make it a four-point game. The Purple Eagles chipped away at the Stags' lead and eventually tied it at 23-23. Coffey put the Stags ahead, 24-23, with a kill but Niagara held off set point. After a Purple Eagles' service error Dixion gave the Stags the 26-24 win with a kill.
 
Niagara (9-10; 6-3 MAAC) took command for much of the third set, opening up a 21-17 advantage. However, a timely kill by Coffey sparked a 5-0 run and allowed Fairfield to take a 22-17 lead. The two teams would trade the next 13 points between them until the score rested at 28-28. Moyer and Stapleton came through with a big block to put the Stags ahead and the match ended on a Niagara attack error.
 
Today's victory snapped Fairfield's six-match losing skid against the three-time defending MAAC Champions.
 
Fairfield (13-8; 8-3 MAAC) continues MAAC road action next weekend with stops at Saint Peter's University on October 20 and Manhattan College on October 21. The Stags return home to Alumni Hall on October 27 to host Iona College.