Box Score LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Fairfield University volleyball team registered its seventh consecutive win on Sunday afternoon, taking a 3-1 decision from host Rider in a pivotal Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match. Megan Theiller and Skyler Day each recorded a double-double on the outside for the Stags.
With the win, Fairfield improves to 11-4 in the MAAC as a part of a 16-9 overall record. The Stags and Siena are currently tied in the loss column atop the conference standings; the winner of the meeting between the two clubs on Wednesday at Alumni Hall will be the last remaining team to control its own destiny in the hunt for the MAAC regular season title and top seed in the upcoming postseason tournament.
The Stags bounced back from a loss in the first set today, taking the contest at Rider by scores of 19-25, 25-20, 25-22 and 25-22.
“I'm very proud of this group. We didn't play our best volleyball today, but we found a way to gut out a huge team win on the road,” said Head Coach Todd Kress. “I keep thinking our tank is about to hit empty, and this team digs a little deeper and scratches out another tough road win. This group is showing the perseverance and character of an upperclassman team, and when I consider our youth, it makes me even prouder.”
Day led all players with 19 kills in the match and rounded out her 13th double-double with 15 digs. Theiller, also working on the outside, sent home 17 kills and picked up 13 digs to complete her 10th double-double of the fall.
Megan O'Sullivan also reached double figures in kills from the middle with 10 to go along with a career-best seven digs.
Rounding out the offense were Kaitlyn Fisher with six kills and Oyinkansola Akinola with five.
The attack was run through Sydney Buckley, who distributed a career-high 50 assists to go along with three kills of her own. The sophomore setter guided Fairfield to a .201 hitting percentage in the four-set contest.
Defensively, Mallory Bechtold led all players with 22 digs, and Taylor Rudeen added 18. Buckley was just short of her second double-double of the season with nine digs.
At the net, Akinola and Buckley teamed up for Fairfield's two blocks in the match.
The Stags also got five points from the serving game, led by two aces from Bechtold. Buckley, Day and O'Sullivan each added one winner for the Stags.
Rider (16-14, 11-5 MAAC) was led by Kaitlyn Griffin with 14 kills, five digs and seven blocks. Hailey Riede and Ryan Ackermann added 11 finishers for the Broncs, and Emma Aldaya led the back row with 21 digs.
Today's action wrapped up the road portion of Fairfield's regular season road schedule. The Stags begin a three-match residency at Alumni Hall to cap the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 11 with a 7 p.m. visit from Siena.
Fairfield has already clinched a berth in its 20th consecutive MAAC postseason tournament, which will be held at Siena's Alumni Recreation Center in Loudonville, N.Y. from Nov. 20-22.
