WORCESTER, Mass. – The Fairfield University volleyball team completed a 4-0 weekend at the Crusader Classic with a sweep of Holy Cross on Saturday evening in Worcester. The Stags also topped Brown, Bryant and UMass Lowell at the weekend tournament.
Fairfield (5-3) was represented on the All-Tournament Team by Megan Theiller and Skyler Day. Theiller averaged 4.00 kills per set on .290 to go along with 2.38 digs per frame. Also on the outside for the Stags, Day posted 3.69 kills and 1.85 digs per stanza as Fairfield needed just 13 sets to win its four matches this weekend.
"We are very happy for Megan and Skyler, who were both solid all weekend to earn their spots on the All-Tournament Team," Head Coach Todd Kress said.
In tonight's tournament finale against Holy Cross, the Stags hit a scorching .415 – their best team mark since a .481 performance against Hampton on Sept. 7, 2013. Every Fairfield player to take a swing notched a hitting percentage over .300 in the match.
"Tonight was a great finish to a solid weekend. To commit only 10 errors in a match is a step in the right direction after our opening weekend in New Mexico," said Kress. "This week, we will focus on our defensive intensity and aggressiveness on the block."
Theiller led the way with a team-best 13 kllls (13-1-28, .429), and Day added 10 (10-3-22, .318). In the middle, Megan O'Sullivan had eight finishers on 14 errorless swings, with Oyinkansola Akinola and Sydney Buckley notching five and four kills, respectively.
Sonja Radulovic and Manuela Nicolini each picked up two kills, and Taylor Rudeen dropped in one from the back row to cap the attack.
Fairfield's offense was run through Nicolini and Sydney Buckley. Buckley led the Stags with 23 assists and Nicolini had 17 as the Stags' setting duo distributed the ball to five players that took more than 10 swings.
Libero Mallory Bechtold led all players with 15 digs. At the net, O'Sullivan got a hand in five of the Stags' 10 blocks. Day and Nicolini each added two block assists. All told, the Fairfield defense limited Holy Cross to .109 hitting.
The host Crusaders were led by 17 kills from Mandy Sifferlin, who also had a team-leading 11 digs to complete a double-double. Lizzie Webb handed out 25 assists for Holy Cross.
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.
