LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The Fairfield University volleyball team advanced to the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Match with a 3-2 win over Manhattan on Saturday evening at Siena's Alumni Recreation Center. The top-seeded Stags won the semifinal matchup by scores of 25-20, 25-10, 20-25, 20-25 and 15-10.

Fairfield (20-9) advances to meet second-seeded Marist, which swept sixth-seeded Niagara in the day's second semifinal. First serve is set for 2 p.m. with all of the action broadcast live on ESPN3.

"We are thrilled for the opportunity that tomorrow presents," said Head Coach Todd Kress, who was recognized on Thursday as the MAAC Coach of the Year for a conference-record fourth time. "Marist played a great semifinal tonight, and we realize that we must be at our best tomorrow."

In tonight's contest, First Team All-MAAC honoree Megan O'Sullivan led the way offensively with 18 kills on .333 hitting (18-6-36).  The junior co-captain added four blocks and five digs to the Fairfield defensive effort.

Fellow First Team All-MAAC selection Skyler Day posted her eighth consecutive double-double on the outside with 15 kills and 22 digs. Her foil at outside hitter, sophomore Megan Theiller, also racked up a double-double with 16 kills and 15 digs. Oyinkansola Akinola – a MAAC All-Rookie Team member in 2015 – sent home 11 kills on .308 hitting (11-3-26).

Supplementing the offense was Kaitlyn Fisher with four kills and Chanel Cooper with one.

The offense was run to a .187 clip by Sydney Buckley, who set a new career high in the five-set encounter with 57 assists in addition to two kills on her own. The sophomore setter completed a double-double with 13 digs.

Freshman Taylor Rudeen led the efforts in the back row with 23 digs, while her classmate Mallory Bechtold added 16. At the net, Akinola had a hand in six of the Stags' 11 team blocks with Fisher getting a piece of four send-backs and Theiler contributing to three.

In total, the Stags' defensive effort limited Manhattan to a .145 hitting percentage.

The Jaspers were led by 18 kills apiece from Claire Van Dyk and Milena Janjusevic. Jade Gray doled out 42 assist for Manhattan, which ends its season at 20-14, and Van Dyk was also a stalwart in the back row with a match-leading 25 digs.

The Stags will now advance to the MAAC Championship Match for the 16th time in program history. Fairfield has won seven conference titles, six of which were earned as the top seed. Fairfield swept the season series from Marist, coming back from two sets down to top the Red Foxes in five sets on Oct. 11 in Poughkeepsie and taking a 3-1 decision on Nov. 4 at Alumni Hall.

Furthermore, tonight's win stakes Fairfield to its 13th 20-win season – four of which has come during the tenure of Todd Kress.

The winner of the 2015 MAAC Championship Match earns the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. The 64-team field for the national postseason will be announced next Sunday, Nov. 29 at 9 p.m.