FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University volleyball team clinched a share of the 2016 MAAC Regular Season Championship on Saturday afternoon with a sweep of visiting Rider on George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall. The Stags' straight-set triumph over the Broncs, which came by set scores of 27-25, 25-22 and 25-22, cemented the 16th regular season crown for the program since 1996 and the fifth in seven campaigns led by Head Coach Todd Kress.
The Stags improve to 21-5 overall and remain unbeaten at 14-0 in the MAAC, boosting Division I's second-longest active winning streak to 15 matches. Fairfield needs a win in any of its four remaining MAAC contests to clinch the MAAC regular season title outright, beginning with Sunday's 1 p.m. visit from Saint Peter's. With the loss, Rider falls to 13-12 overall and 7-6 in the MAAC.
Skyler Day led all players with 18 kills on Saturday as a part of a double-double that also included 12 digs. Megan Theiller was just shy of a double-double of her own with 15 kills and nine digs from the outside. Day and Theiller also each handed out three assists.
Joining in on the attack was Megan O'Sullivan with nine kills on .438 hitting (9-2-16) from the middle. Kaitlyn Fisher added six finishers, and Nora Quinn posted two on six errorless swings.
The offense was piloted to a .276 clip by the setting duo of Sydney Buckley and Nicolini, who doled out 23 and 19 assists, respectively. Buckley also notched three digs from the setter spot, while Nicolini chipped in three kills of her own on four attempts (.750).
Defensively, Mallory Bechtold guided the effort with 18 digs from the libero position, and Taylor Rudeen notched six from the back row. At the net, Nicolini, O'Sullivan and Quinn each had a hand in two of Fairfield's five total team blocks.
Rounding out the scoring, the Stags also recorded six points from behind the service line. Bechtold and Day each delivered two service aces with Buckley and Rudeen landing one winner apiece.
Rider was led by 14 kills from Hailey Riede on .462 hitting, while Kaitlyn Griffin posted 10 on 22 errorless tries (.455) to go along with three blocks. In total, the Broncs hit .250 in the attack run through setter Veronica Koval. Koval posted 38 assists and closed in on a double-double with eight digs. Emma Aldaya matched her opposite number and fellow libero Bechtold with 18 digs from the Rider back row.
The Stags return to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall tomorrow afternoon for a 1 p.m. meeting with Saint Peter's.
