LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – Guided by double-doubles from the outside hitting tandem of Skyler Day and Megan Theiller, the Fairfield University volleyball team posted its ninth consecutive victory on Wednesday evening with a 3-1 decision at Siena. The MAAC triumph also pushed the Stags to 8-0 in conference play.
Fairfield (15-5) took the contest by set scores of 25-17, 25-22, 19-25 and 25-18. The Stags trailed 5-2 in the fourth frame before putting together a 16-1 run that propelled them to victory. Siena stands at 4-13 overall and 3-4 in the MAAC after this evening's home loss.
Day's double-double included a match-high 16 kills. The reigning MAAC Player of the Week also picked up 11 digs and a pair of blocks as a part of the Stags' defensive effort. The team-leading ninth double-double of the fall for Theiller consisted of 14 kills and 13 digs. She added three blocks and three service aces for Fairfield.
Megan O'Sullivan also reached double figures in the kills column as she controlled the action at the net both offensively and defensively. The lone senior of the Stags sent home 10 kills on 14 errorless swings (.714) and had a hand in four of Fairfield's 9.5 team blocks.
Manuela Nicolini also picked up four blocks from the setter position. She teamed with Sydney Buckley, dishing out a respective 24 and 21 assists, to pilot the Fairfield attack to a .185 hitting percentage. Buckley contributed defensively with eight digs, and each setter landed one kill of her own.
Rounding out the Fairfield offense, Kaitlyn Fisher notched four kills, Mayda Garcia posted three finishers and Sydney Williams recorded two.
The back row was helmed by Mallory Bechtold – the most recent MAAC Libero of the Week – with 21 digs. Taylor Rudeen added seven digs as a defensive specialist for the Stags.
In addition to Theiller's trio of aces, Rudeen and Sonja Radulovic each contributed to the scoring with one winner from behind the service line.
Siena was led by a double-double from Briana Flagg, who posted 12 kills and 10 digs. Bobbi Lin Kalama doled out 25 assists for the Saints, and Kalehua Katagiri led all players with 31 digs.
The Stags have now won their last eight matches at Siena's Alumni Recreation Center, a streak that includes four total wins in the 2013 and 2015 MAAC Championships. Fairfield toppled Manhattan and Marist in the postseason in both of those seasons en route to the conference crown.
Fairfield will now stay within the borders of the Nutmeg State to close out its current three-match road trip. The Stags visit Quinnipiac (14-6, 6-1 MAAC) to conclude the first round of MAAC play on Saturday, Oct. 8 and head across town to Sacred Heart (11-6, 4-0 NEC) on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Fairfield returns to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall on Oct. 15-16 as the second round of MAAC action begins with visits from Siena and Marist.
