Box Score RIVERDALE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University volleyball team ran its winning streak to three with a Saturday afternoon sweep at Manhattan in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action. The Stags took the contest by set scores of 25-23, 25-22 and 25-23.
"It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't clean, but it was an important win on the road," said Head Coach Todd Kress.
Fairfield (9-8, 5-3 MAAC) was led by a double-double from Skyler Day, who recorded a match-high 12 kills to go along with 12 digs. Megan O'Sullivan added 10 kills for the Stags, and Sydney Williams had eight kills on .438 hitting (8-1-16).
Chanel Cooper also sent home eight finishers, with Oyinkansola Akinola adding four and Kaitlyn Fisher posting two. Collectively, the Stags hit .139 as Kiley Lingenfelter and Sydney Buckley ran the offense with 19 and 17 assists, respectively.
After posting a season-best 16 blocks in this past Sunday's win at Marist, the Stags were a force at the net once again against the Jaspers. Akinola and Williams each had a hand in six of Fairfield's 12 blocks – a team high for a three-set match in 2015. O'Sullivan was a part of four send-backs, and Fisher got a piece of three.
In the back row, Taylor Rudeen led all players from the libero spot with 18 digs. Lingenfelter closed in a double-double with nine from the back row, and Bella Guanciale added eight.
"I told the team that the difference in the match was our physicality at the net," commented Kress. "Winka and Sydney both did a nice job of containing their outsides. And Taylor and Bella both had significant digs and covers when it got tight in the third."
Guanciale also served up two of the Stags' five service aces, with Buckley, Lingenfelter and Rudeen all landing one winner.
Ivana Kostic and Milena Janjusevic led Manhattan with nine kills apiece. Jade Gray distributed 30 assists for the Jaspers, and Janjusevic led the back row with 14 digs.
The Stags needed a rally to take the first set, facing a 20-13 deficit. Led by three Akinola blocks, Fairfield promptly rattled off the next six points to cut the deficit to a single point. After the Jaspers picked up one point, the Stags went back on the attack with four consecutive tallies to take a 23-21 lead. A Williams kill completed the comeback as Fairfield took a 25-23 decision.
The first five points of the second frame went to the Jaspers before Fairfield fired back with four straight markers. After Manhattan rebuilt a lead at 13-10, the Stags answered again to erase the deficit and pull in front, 18-16. Fairfield never pulled away from the Jaspers but kept the hosts in the rearview mirror en route to a 25-22 win to take a 2-0 advantage in the match.
A long run for each team evened out early in set three, with the score leveling at 13-13. At that juncture, the Stags won eight of the next 12 rallies to take a 21-17 lead. Manhattan would surge to a 23-23 deadlock, but O'Sullivan and Akinola teamed up for a block and Williams sent home the final exclamation point on a 25-23 win to cap the sweep.
"I'm very proud of this team for fighting through the adversity of having a couple of starters out with injuries and still gutting out a win against a very good Manhattan team."
Fairfield returns to the court and continues its road swing through the MAAC tomorrow – Sunday, Oct. 18 – at 1 p.m. at Iona.
