FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Fairfield University volleyball team advanced to the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Match with a 3-1 win over Siena in a Saturday semifinal on George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall. The Stags will host in-state conference foe Quinnipiac on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the MAAC Championship Match with an NCAA postseason berth at stake.
After posting their third win of the fall over the Saints – this time by set scores of 25-20, 22-25, 25-18 and 25-21 – Fairfield improves to 27-5 overall with its 21st consecutive victory. The winning streak is the nation's longest active run. The Stags will play in the MAAC Championship Match for the 17th time in program history, while Quinnipiac is making its first appearance in the finals. Fairfield is defending MAAC Champion and also won the conference crown in 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012 and 2013. A win tomorrow would tie the Stags with Siena for the most MAAC volleyball titles in conference history.
In today's match, Fairfield was led by a career-high 24 kills from Skyler Day. Day, who was named the 2016 MAAC Player of the Year earlier this week, also picked up 16 digs to record her 11th double-double. Megan O'Sullivan set a new career standard with 19 finishers in the victory, hitting .500 from the middle (19-1-36). Megan Theiller added 16 kills with 12 digs to notch her team-leading 15th double-double of the fall and served up two service aces. In total, Fairfield's trio of First Team All-MAAC performers notched 59 of the team's 65 kills.
With her efforts today, Theiller also eclipsed 1,000 digs for her career. She is the seventh member of Fairfield's 1,000 Kills and 1,000 Digs Club, and the third to reach both milestones in only three seasons of action with the Stags.
Rounding out the offense, Kaitlyn Fisher posted four kills with Mayda Garcia and Manuela Nicolini each adding one. The Stags hit .258 as a team guided by Nicolini and Sydney Buckley, who handed out 35 and 22 assists, respectively.
Defensively, Mallory Bechtold helmed the back row with 25 digs from the libero spot. Joining Bechtold, Day and Theiller in double figures was Taylor Rudeen, who put up 10 digs to supplement the effort. At the net, O'Sullivan had a hand in six of the Stags' 12 team blocks. Garcia was a part of a career-best five rejections, while Nicolini, Theiller and Day each got a piece of three and Fisher contributed on two send-backs.
Siena was led by 17 kills from First Team All-MAAC outside hitter Briana Flagg, while Kelly Chaney and Sonja Vasovic each added 11. Haley Howell dished out 46 assists for the Saints, and libero Kalehua Katagiri led all players with 31 digs. Siena, who swept Rider yesterday to reach the semifinal round, concludes its season at 12-18.
Tomorrow's MAAC Championship Match at Alumni Hall will be broadcast live on
ESPN3, produced by the award-winning Fairfield University Media Center.
Admission is FREE for all Fairfield students courtesy of Stags in the Stands.
