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LOS ANGELES – The Fairfield University volleyball team fell to sixth-seeded University of Southern California, 3-0 (8-25, 11-25, 10-25), in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Volleyball Championship this evening at the Galen Center.
 
Sophomore Caitlin Stapleton led the Stags with five kills while senior Brianna Dixion posted four kills on the night. Dixion finishes her career ranked fifth all-time at Fairfield in career kills (1,286) and fifth in kills per set (3.05). She also posted 595 career digs. Dixion was named the 2012 MAAC Volleyball Championship Most Valuable Player and was named to the First Team All-MAAC.
 
Senior Kara Reis finished the night with nine digs. Reis leaves as Fairfield's career digs leader, recording 1,947 over the last four seasons. She also set the single season record for digs, tallying 591 in her final year as a Stag.
 
Senior Stephanie Cruz checked into the match, posting a dig in two sets of action. She graduates with 421 digs for her career.

Sophomore Camille Coffey added three kills and five digs. Junior Rachel Romansky posted 18 assists and three digs while junior Hayley Moyer had three kills. Carsen Mata chipped in with four digs.
 
USC, ranked fourth nationally, took a comfortable 6-0 lead to start the match. Dixion stopped the run with a kill to give the Stags their first point of the NCAA Championship. The Women of Troy went on to the 25-8 victory, hitting .625 with 16 kills on 24 swings.
 
Dixion put the Stags on top 1-0 in the second set with a kill. USC pulled ahead 3-2, but Stapleton tied it up with a kill of her own. The Trojans then used a 7-0 run to pull away from the Stags with freshman Nicole Marzik eventually stopping the run with a kill. USC came away with the 25-11 victory, posting the exact numbers from the first set, 16 kills on 24 swings and a .625 attack percentage.
 
Fairfield took a 2-0 lead to start the third set but USC quickly responded with five unanswered points to overtake the Stags. Fairfield cut it to 8-5 on a kill by Stapleton but the Women of Troy pulled away once again. USC came away with the 25-10 victory to advance to the second round of the NCAA Championship where they will face St. Mary's (CA).

Freshman outside hitter Samantha Bricio led USC with 16 kills on the night.
 
Fairfield finishes with year with a 22-9 overall record. The Stags captured the 2012 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship to qualify for the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2001.