FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After opening the season with four matches in Albuquerque, the Fairfield University volleyball team returns to the Northeast this weekend to challenge another quartet of foes at the Crusader Classic. In addition to host Holy Cross, the all-New England affair will feature Brown, Bryant and UMass Lowell.
The Stags went 1-3 at the UNM Invitational last weekend, falling to Idaho, Arizona State and New Mexico while earning a victory over Abilene Christian. Skyler Day was tabbed to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 4.00 kills and 2.38 digs in 13 sets of action. The 2016 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year added three blocks and a service ace during the weekend.
Day leads the MAAC in the kills in the early stages of 2016, while Megan Theiller slots sixth in the conference with 2.85 kills per set. In the middle, Megan O'Sullivan adds 2.31 kills per frame to the Fairfield attack. The Stags' offense was coordinated by a pair of setters in Albuquerque. Manuela Nicolini dished out 6.17 assists per set, and Sydney Buckley handed out 5.85 per frame.
Defensively, libero Mallory Bechtold averaged 3.64 digs per set in the back row. At the net, O'Sullivan had a hand in nine of Fairfield's 14 team blocks this past weekend.
Fairfield vs. Brown
Friday, Sept. 2 @ Noon
Live Stats
Brown will be opening its 2016 season against the Stags, following up on a 10-16 campaign from a season ago. The Bears return two All-Ivy performers in the 24th season on the sidelines for Head Coach Diane Short. Sabrina Stillwell collected Second Team All-Ivy laurels in 2015 after registering a team-best 3.35 kills per set – ranking fourth in the Ancient Eight – on .266 hitting on the outside. In the middle, Brown welcomes back All-Ivy Honorable Mention Payton Smith, who sent home .249 kills per frame on .297 hitting and had a hand in a team-leading 60 blocks last fall.
The Stags are 7-3 in 10 all-time meetings with Brown. This weekend's encounter reconvenes the series for the first time since Oct. 5, 2001 – a 3-1 Fairfield win in Providence in a matchup of the eventual champions of the MAAC and Ivy League.
Fairfield vs. Bryant
Friday, Sept. 2 @ 5 p.m.
Live Stats
Bryant fell to 2-3 on the season after being swept at Quinnipiac on Wednesday evening. This past weekend, the Bulldogs picked up wins over Hartford and Rider while losing to St. John's and Rutgers – all in straight sets. Bryant went 19-14 last fall to notch their first winning record since 2010. Julie Flynn leads the way with 3.25 kills and 3.13 digs per set, with Kiley Robbins adding 2.79 kills per frame. Viva Katzen has run the offense to the tune of 9.00 assists per set, and Kristin Kingi helms the back row with 4.57 digs per stanza.
Fairfield swept the most recent meeting with the Bulldogs on Sept. 8, 2013 to improve to 2-1 in the all-time series. That match was the first between the two programs since 1995.
Fairfield vs. UMass Lowell
Satuday, Sept. 3 @ Noon
Live Stats
The River Hawks went 4-27 last fall and have kicked off the 2016 season with a 1-2 opening weekend. UMass Lowell, now in its fourth year as a Division I program, swept Manhattan before falling in straight sets to San Jose State and Providence last weekend.
UML was led offensively by Katherine Claybaugh with 3.22 kills per set with Madi Bell adding 2.56 finishers per frame. The setting duo of Alexa Toth and Delaney Mendez distributed 5.33 and 4.78 assists per set, respectively, while directing the River Hawks to a .222 hitting percentage. Lindsey Visvardis, who was an America East All-Rookie Team pick in 2015, helmed the effort in the back row with 3.00 digs per set.
Saturday's matchup will be the first meeting between Fairfield and UMass Lowell.
Fairfield at Holy Cross
Saturday, Sept. 3 @ 5:30 p.m.
Patriot League Network | Live Stats
Holy Cross is off to a 1-2 start to its season on the heels of a 7-22 showing in 2015. The Crusaders opened the fall with 3-0 losses to Georgia State and James Madison while earning a straight-set win over North Carolina Central. The hosts of this weekend's action went 3-5 on their home court last fall.
Mandy Sifferlen led the Crusaders last weekend, hammering home 4.67 kills per set while taking nearly 40 percent of the team's swings (136-of-346). She added 3.56 digs per set for the Crusaders en route to JMU Invitational All-Tournament honors. Lizzie Webb dished out 8.44 assists per frame as the primary setter for Holy Cross, and M.C. Magner had 5.00 digs per set from the libero spot.
Fairfield has split the all-time series, 10-10, with their former MAAC foe. Holy Cross visited Alumni Hall last fall for the Fairfield Invitational, with the Stags taking a 3-1 victory. That meeting renewed a rivalry that had been dormant since 1998.
Next weekend, action comes to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall for the first time in 2016 for the Fairfield Invitational. The Stags will host Sacred Heart, James Madison and Villanova in the two-day, round-robin event.
