Box Score

RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University volleyball team pulled out a 3-2 (25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-12) victory over Manhattan College to win their third straight match. With the victory, the Stags improve to 10-3 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and jump to the top of the league standings.
 
Sophomore Caitlin Stapleton led the way with a match-high 18 kills, including the 500th of her career, on .359 hitting. Senior Brianna Dixion was also in double figures with 14 kills. Sophomore Camille Coffey tallied her fifth double-double of the year with 14 kills, which tied a season high, and 18 digs. She also tied a career-high with four total blocks.
 
Junior Rachel Romansky did a little bit of everything against the Jaspers. The setter posted her fourth consecutive double-double and her 13th of the season with 54 assists and 11 digs. Romansky also added six kills on .375 hitting, two aces, and tied a career-high with four total blocks.
 
Defensively, sophomore Carsen Mata had a career-high 25 digs while senior Kara Reis added 25 digs and five assists.
 
In the first set, Manhattan (13-11; 8-5 MAAC) kept it close in the early going, but the Stags used an 11-3 run midway through the frame to pull away from the Jaspers. The Stags went on to the 25-19 win. In the second set, Fairfield overcame a four-point deficit to overtake Manhattan, 18-17, on a kill by Romansky. The Stags extended their lead to 20-17 but the Jaspers rallied, closing out the set on an 8-0 run for the victory.
 
Fairfield (15-8; 10-3 MAAC) recovered in the third set and did not trail. After Mariana Furquim pulled Manhattan within 18-17 with a kill, the Stags responded with four unanswered points. That was all the room Fairfield needed as it went on to the 25-20 win. In the fourth set, both teams battled early with eight ties and five lead changes. With the score tied at 10-10, a kill by Furquim ignited an 11-1 run for the Jaspers. Manhattan cruised to a 25-18 win to even the match at two sets apiece.
 
In the fifth set, Fairfield jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Manhattan narrowed the gap late in the set, pulling within 12-11. But back-to-back kills from Dixion and Stapleton stopped the Jaspers comeback as Fairfield pulled out a 15-12 win.
 
Freshman Maddie FitzPatrick returned to the lineup and delivered three total blocks and two kills. Senior Stephanie Cruz chipped in with nine digs. Junior Hayley Moyer added seven kills and four total blocks.
 
Fairfield out-blocked Manhattan 10.5-7.0. The Stags held a 66-56 advantage in kills and a 95-84 advantage in digs.
 
Fairfield returns home to Alumni Hall for five-straight MAAC matches to close out the regular season. The homestand begins on October 27 against Iona College at 2pm.  The top four teams in the league standings at season's end will converge on Alumni Hall, November 17-18, for the 2012 MAAC Volleyball Championship.