The Fairfield University volleyball team extended its winning streak to seven matches with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-18, 25-22) victory over visiting Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) foe Niagara University.  The Stags improve to 19-8 on the year and 14-3 in league play, and are stand alone in first place in the conference standings after Canisius, Sunday's opponent, fell 3-2 to Iona. The Purple Eagles fell to 15-12 overall and 12-5 in league play with the loss.

Fairfield hit .152 for the afternoon, led by the 14 kills of Brianna Dixion and 10 from Caitlin Stapleton.  Five Stags reached double figures in digs, with a match-high 24 from Kara Reis.  Rachel Romansky had 31 assists and 16 digs for a double-double for the Stags.

The first set was a back-and-forth affair that saw the score tied 16 different times. A Romansky kill broke a 10-10 tie, and started a 5-0 Fairfield run, that saw the Stags open the largest lead of the set, 15-10.  Niagara rallied back with six straight points, the last off an Amanda Wilken kill to give the Purple Eagles a 16-15 edge that was short-lived, as Fairfield rallied back for a 19-17 edge.  The Purple Eagles took the lead four times from that point, including a 24-23 edge, which Romansky erased with a kill to knot the score 24-24.  Ellen Senf put Niagara back in front 25-24, but a Stapleton kill, followed by a solo block from Stapleton and a Kara Reis service ace propelled Fairfield to the 27-25 victory.

Niagara scored the first point of the second-set, but the Stags then rattled of six unanswered points and led by seven, 12-5.  Niagara was able to get within two points twice, 15-13 and 16-14, but could get no closer, as the Stags earned a 25-18 victory.

Fairfield had to rally in the third set as well, falling behind 4-1 early in the set, and tailing 15-13 after an attack error.  Romansky started a 7-0 Stag run with her seventh kill of the afternoon, to take a 20-15 lead.  The Purple Eagles were within two points twice in the final points of the match, but Fairfield held on for the 25-22 victory.

 Niagara received a double-double effort from Kari Honomichl, who finished with 10 kills and 13 digs. Wilken had a team-high 11 kills on the afternoon, while Allison Reis finished with a team-best 22 digs.  Michelle James had 28 assists and 13 digs.

Fairfield closes out the regular season Sunday afternoon when it hosts Canisius at 2 p.m.  A victory would give the Stags the MAAC Regular Season crown and the top-seed in the MAAC Championship, November 17-18 at Alumni Hall.  All fans that make a donation to Hurricane Sandy victims at the match on Sunday will receive a voucher for a ticket to the semifinals.