NEW YORK, N.Y.  -  Freshman Megan Theiller notched a career-high 15 kills and seniors Caitlin Stapleton and Marilyn Peizer also contributed double digits in kills as the Fairfield University volleyball team defeated Stony Brook 3-1 on the first day of the Columbia Invitational.

Stapleton finished with 11 kills while Peizer had a season-high 10 kills.

After dropping the first set, the Stags were able to bounce back in the second frame.  Fairfield (2-3) jumped out to a 10-7 lead with three kills from Megan O'Sullivan during that stretch.  Stony Brook (2-3) was able to tie the set five times after that point with the latest coming at 20-20 after an attack error.  The Stags notched the next two points with kills from Stapleton and Peizer to make the score 22-20.  With the score 24-23, the Seawolves suffered an attack error to give Fairfield the second set.

Fairfield took the first four points of the third set off the serving of Bella Guanciale and her two service aces.  The Stags would extend their lead to 13-8 after Carsen Mata, who finished with 41 assists, notched an ace of her own. The Stags saw their lead shrink to 14-10 when Fairfield would go on a 6-2 run ignited by a Stapleton kill.  Stony Brook battled back to tie the set at 24, but back-to-back errors by the Seawolves gave the Stags the set.

The fourth set was also close which featured eight ties and three lead changes.  With the score knotted at 21, Lindsay Weaver recorded back-to-back kills to give Fairfield a lead they would not surrender. 

Senior Camille Coffey finished with 16 digs, which tied for the match-high while Mata had 12, including the 1,100th of her career, and Guanciale notched 11. 

In total the match featured 31 ties and eight lead changes. 

Fairfield is back on the court tomorrow in the Columbia Invitational when the Stags take on Bucknell at 10 a.m. and the host Columbia at 7 p.m.