2012 Schedule
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Head Coach Alija Pittenger announced the 2012 volleyball schedule. The fall slate will feature teams from the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, CAA, Conference-USA, and the Horizon League, along with five NCAA Tournament participants.
In addition, the Stags will play host to the 2012 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship which will be held November 17-18 at Alumni Hall. The top four teams in the final regular season standings will vie for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Fairfield last hosted the MAAC Championship in 2007. Tickets for the event are currently on sale at maac.ticketleap.com and for more information visit maacsports.com.
“We have put together a challenging nonconference schedule and we'll definitely be tested early. But facing that caliber of competition at the beginning of the year will help us prepare for our MAAC season,” said Pittenger, the 2011 MAAC Coach of the Year. “We're also really excited to be hosting the MAAC Championship, it's such a great event.”
The Stags begin the season at the Duke Invitational, August 24-25, with their first match of the season coming against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Panthers captured the 2012 Horizon League Championship en route to their ninth NCAA Tournament berth. Fairfield will also face the host Blue Devils, who secured their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament berth last season, and Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) foe College of William & Mary.
Fairfield will then stop at the UConn Classic, August 31-September 1 where it will face squads from Michigan State University, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, UConn, and Dartmouth College.
The Stags will also play in the Sacred Heart Hampton Inn Shelton Invitational, September 7-8. The tournament features a rematch against Dartmouth along with contests against Conference-USA foe University of Central Florida and the cross-town rival Pioneers, the two-time defending NEC Champions.
Fairfield opens action against the MAAC at Alumni Hall on September 15 when it hosts Saint Peter's College. Manhattan College visits Fairfield the following day. Fairfield takes to the road for five matches beginning with a stop at Siena College on September 19.
Siena and Marist College visit Alumni Hall October 6-7, marking the Stags' last home matches until November. Fairfield closes out the regular season slate with five consecutive home contests against Iona College, Rider University, Loyola University Maryland, Niagara, and Canisius College. The November 11 contest against the Golden Griffins will mark Senior Day for the Stags.
Fairfield went 20-10 overall and 16-2 in the MAAC last season and advanced to the finals of the 2011 MAAC Championship. The Stags return 10 members from that squad including 2011 MAAC Rookie of the Year Caitlin Stapleton and MAAC Setter of the Year Rachel Romansky.
